


This Wayward Son

by NobleD93



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Gen, Likely inspired by other Modern Character in Thedas fics, Modern Boy in Thedas, Modern Guy in Thedas, unrealistic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-08-24 00:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8349847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NobleD93/pseuds/NobleD93
Summary: Nathan had played the Dragon Age games except for the Inquisition, and now he wished he had. Stuck in Thedas for over year and unable to recall spoilers from the game, Nathan must now learn to support the Inquisition from what knowledge he acquired in his time while also trying to keep his secret hidden.Did I mention the part that he forgot the conclave would explode?Non-Inquisitor fic.  More OC's will be introduced.





	1. Chapter 1

I Forgot About the Explosion…

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A WHOLE YEAR passed since I was dropped into this world called Thedas. It helped that I played the first and second game, but I never got around playing the third game. What got me so disinterested was that I had spoiled myself from all the cut-scenes on YouTube. Usually, my remedy for that is to wait a couple of years until all the hype dies down and maybe I’ll forget all the spoilers.

Two years plus one year in Thedas, and I’ve forgotten almost everything…

Especially the explosion of the Conclave.

To think, I was seconds away from dying at that place if I hadn’t refused the noble’s offer to join him. The noble by the name of Trevelyan was accosted by bandits the other day, and I happened to be on the road to rescue him and his nephew. When the bandits fled (because they feel like weak amateurs to me), Trevelyan asked where I was heading. When it turned out we were all heading to Haven, they asked me to tag along.

Now I started to feel terrible that I was relieved I didn’t go, but they did, and now they were dead. Shit. Just…. Shit.

I had to shake it off. I can’t think too much about it.

When the sky ripped open and comets shot everywhere, the rifts began appearing, letting demons out. As much as I like to call myself the best fighter, I’d rather not involve myself with demons. For some reason, from the few demonic abominations I’ve met, they always gravitate towards me, and it felt a lot like sexual harassment. They didn’t want to kill me, but possess me.

So, going out in the field wasn’t a great idea, but helping out in the medic tent proved better. After the first day, I was in charge of the tent. I was never a nurse, but I learned on the job when I was still employed by the Valo-Kas mercenary company.

When I first helped, the healers were very suspicious of me but they couldn’t complain, not with all the chaos happening and the wounded soldiers that kept pouring in. Then, one of the soldiers just stopped breathing and I decided to resuscitate his heart, executing CPR methods. Of course, I couldn’t do the mouth-to-mouth method, have you seen the dental hygiene in this world?

One of the healers tried to stop me, demanding what I was doing when suddenly the soldier I was reviving then gasp in an air. Stunned looks were all around before I asked the healer to help me patch up his wounds. From then on, every healer on the tent relied on me, and I did my best to accommodate.

Healing potions were convenient, but at the moment, they were extremely scarce. We had to reserve those for worse wounds, otherwise, the wounded will have to rest and heal at their own pace.

Two weeks after and the breach was still there. I was starting to lose hope in this shithole.

Today was different when a messenger came for me and said that my presence was requested by the left and right hands of the Divine down to the cellar of the Chantry, and I am to follow him without further delay.

First off, I made him wait. I had to finish sewing up my customer before I left Sylvia in charge of the tent. The messenger was irritated, perhaps apprehensive about making the Right and Left Hands wait. Whatever it is, it can wait for a few more minutes until I was done patching up the patient. I didn’t tell him that. We just walked in silence.

I met them before the stairs, both left and right. I froze literally as memories of the old Dragon Age games came to me.

Leliana… and Cassandra from DA2. Holy shit. _They’re_ the left and right hands of the divine?

“You must be our top healer. We’ve heard you revived some of our soldiers through… unconventional yet non-magical methods.” Leliana began to say, and such a sweet tone too, and yet why did it sound so dangerous at the same time? This was not the bard I knew. “I don’t believe we’ve gotten your name.”

“Nathaniel. Or Nathan, for short.” I answered.

They waited for a surname but since I remained silent they took it for now. Cassandra spoke, “We have a prisoner that we need you to look over.”

I expected to know more but she said nothing after that, and so I gestured, “Lead the way and I’ll follow.”

So they led me down to the cellar to find four soldiers in the room, an elf, and a body lying down next to said elf. Imagine my surprise when I recognized who the unconscious figure was.

“Maxwell…!” I gasped, drawing looks from everyone as I rushed to his side.

The elf seemed to move away from me, eyeing me curiously as I focused on Max. I checked his pulse… yeah, alive, but his temperature was a little too warm. Feverish, but perhaps not overly. Cold sweat? I even opened one of his eyelids to check rapid eye movement. I could feel the curious eyes of the elf watching closely at what I was doing. It must be rather odd.

“You know this prisoner?” Cassandra asked, rather hostile now with her tone as I shot to look back at her. Accusing eyes.

I had nothing to hide from this so I told her the truth, “Yes. Three days before the Conclave, we met on the road. He and his uncle were harassed by bandits, and I stepped in.”

Leliana raised her brows at me. “You’re a healer _and_ you can fight?”

“I used to work for a mercenary company and helped with the stitching.” Turning back to Maxwell, I looked at him more closely. “What of his uncle?”

There was no answer from either of the two ladies but the elf provided one. “…He was the only survivor.”

Immediately, I thought, the only one at fault.

No. Couldn’t be. Max was easy to get along with, and someone that anybody can be friends with.

“…What is that…?” I asked, finally noticing the strange magic coming from the left palm of his hand.

“That is what we are trying to find out.” Leliana said. “For now, you are only here to evaluate his health.”

Looking over Max, once more, I surmised. “…He’s fine, but I think this magic upon his hand is hurting him… His vital signs are normal, and his breathing is leveled… he should wake up today.”

Now, I could be lying here, but sometimes… do you ever get that intuitive feeling that you know it’s going to happen? That feeling is what I’m experiencing right now.

The elf raised a brow at him. “You sound so certain about it.”

“I’m sure of it.” I asserted before standing up. “If you don’t mind, I’m heading back to the tent. There are more of our people to tend to.”

“Wait! You’ve been helping _our_ people, but what if you were only waiting for _him?_ ” Cassandra asked, her eyes narrowing at me as if I was some terrorist, or perhaps I was involved in the explosion. “How can we trust you?”

I tried not to roll my eyes at her since everyone in the room was looking at me with that same accusatory eyes. After a moment, I let out a sigh and shrugged my shoulders.

Offering a solution, I said, “Then lock me down here with him… ”

My answer surprised them and I only continued, “Either way, I’m not going anywhere. If I was involved, I would have already ran away instead of sticking around to help. And if Max was involved… Well, I don’t know… but I know he has to be innocent. You will see, Seeker Pentaghast.”

It was silent for a while, their eyes still examining me, especially that elf. He was looking at me with guarded curiosity.

“…May I go?” I broke the silence and Leliana nodded her head to me. “Go. Thank you for time, Nathan.”

*

For the rest of the afternoon, I stayed in the tent and it was soon announced that the prisoner was awake. From outside the area, I could see that same elf leaving through the gates with a dwarf and some few soldiers.

An hour later, the Breach closed, and I had that feeling… Max is probably the main protagonist of this very _long_ game.

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	2. Getting along with everyone is taxing

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It’s been a couple of days since the Breach was closed, and Max had fallen asleep again. This time, his fever had gotten worse. How lucky of the ‘Herald’ to have three caretakers: me, Adan the Alchemist, and Solas the elf apostate whom I met down at the cellar. And I’ve told them a thousand times that he’ll be fine, and that he would wake up in like five or six days.

The clinic was depressing. The charge upon the breach and the giant demon brought a lot of the injured and the fatal. The only other good thing was that some soldiers survived, and most of my patients are healing incredibly well. With the place being a bit slow now and well manageable, I’ve assigned shifts and hours so each one of us could get breaks, and there’s always at least two or three in the clinic during daylight hours.

It was around suppertime that I was able to get a break as I made my way over to the tavern; it’s currently the only place serving food. Otherwise, there were other cooks stationed outside near the army camp, cooking for the soldiers.

Entering the tavern, the sound of lute music and the laughter of drunks felt…warm and welcoming as if the battle was only just hazy dream…

Everyone stayed clear and out of my way but not in a frightened manner, rather a respectful bow. They would step out of my direction, bowing their heads before continuing on. I was also receiving many stares from the bar’s patrons.

Ignoring them, I took my seat in a far off table. A servant maid, Noella, walked over to me, asking what I would like and I told her the usual. She knew what I always ordered. She went away, and the song, Empress of Fire, started playing. I only scowled at the overplayed music. Really, there wasn’t enough variety of food or even culture.

Zoning out, I took out my journal, ink and quill before I started to write.

The peace to write was soon disturbed by a rather familiar dwarf.

“Good evening, is this seat taken?” he asked, gesturing to the empty chair across from me.

Shaking my head, I glanced back at the pages to try and write. “No. Go right ahead.”

“Thank you, tonight’s tavern is rather rowdy, wouldn’t you say?” He asked, hopefully rhetorically since I didn’t feel like responding. He actually had more to say, “Varric Tethras. At your service.”

That got me to pause from my writing. Varric? Oh shit. How could I have forgotten about him and his chest hair?

“Varric Tethras?” I sounded surprised. “You authored the popular novel, Tale of the Champion, didn’t you?”

He grinned proudly. “That’s correct. I take it you’ve read it.”

“I have.” Nostalgia took hold of me as the content of the story was similar to the play through. _Similar_. To be honest, every story part was highly exaggerated, and some parts were taken out; however the plot very well stayed the same. “The most difficult part to read is always the passage when it came to Anders.”

His eyes seem to sadden at the mention of his friend. “Blondie was a good friend. We knew him well up until he did _that_. He was an apostate hiding out in the underside of Dark Town, but he ran a clinic there, making a lot of good… Oh, say, aren’t you the one working in the clinic here?”

Wow. That was a rather smooth transition.

I nodded to him, before holding my hand out. “I’m Nathan. Pleasure to make an acquaintance.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” He said, shaking my hand back. “I heard you were able to revive many of the soldiers from the dead, and without magic.”

“I only brought back two soldier to life. People exaggerate too much.” I decided to put my journal and writing tools away, seeing that there’s no way I can focus on writing my journal while conversing with _the_ Varric.

The friendly dwarf only continued, “Right, but you did it without magic, and you taught the other healers how to do it?”

“The technique is called cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR for short,” I told him. “It’s a lifesaving technique used in emergencies such as drowning or a heart attack, or whenever a person stops breathing, or his or her heart stops beating.”

He actually paused, looking at me with confusion. “…I have to say, I haven’t heard anything like it before. Where’d you learn it?”

“From another crazy healer.” I responded which made him grin with amusement. He laughed, “Fine! Keep your secrets.”

Noella finally came and set down my dinner, and Varric took the opportunity to order his meal as well. The song changed again to “Enchanters,” and I was starting to know the lyrics by heart, though that didn’t meant I was going to start singing.

“So… when will the Herald wake up? It’s been what…five days?”

“He’ll wake up tomorrow.” I stated before I looked up, staring nothing in particular as I was sensing for my intuition. My guts were definitely telling it would be tomorrow. Affirming, I repeated, “Yes. He’ll wake up tomorrow.”

He raised a skeptic brow. “You… sound really certain.”

“That is because I am, and I’ll be right about it,” I told him.

“That is indeed something I needed to discuss with you,” Someone cut into our conversation, and I looked over to see Solas.

“Chuckles! Glad you could come by,” Varric said, gesturing the elf to seat and he did take a seat to the left of me on another chair. He had brought his own food, probably getting it from the bar counter before bringing it over to join us. “We’ve been wondering when you were going to show.”

I doubted it. Perhaps he was, but not me, and Solas seem to know that as he smiled to humor the dwarf.

“Oh really? That’s awfully kind, but I was with Thedas’ new Herald, checking on his health.” He said before returning to the matter at hand. “Which brings me to my question, how you would know he would wake tomorrow and how did you know he would wake last time?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I swallowed the food in my mouth. “Intuition.”

“Intuition can only go so far. If you’re right he wakes tomorrow, that will be a second time,” Solas said. “And you say it with so much…certainty.”

“That is because I’m an egotistical human who thinks is right all the time,” I responded with dry flare, adding mockingly, “Anyone who goes against my better judgment will be flogged and they have to answer to the Maker.”

Solas pursed his lips, perhaps hiding a smile while Varric laughed boisterously at the unexpected joke. I returned to finishing up my meal while Varric spoke with Solas about the seeker. He always spoke about the seeker––ranting maybe, but still, I wonder if somehow in the future those two would end up being together.

That night ended peacefully as I returned back to my tent, but only to find it missing. I was about to ask around and maybe demand and curse whoever took it away and my missing valuables, but a voice interrupted my planning process.

“There you are.” I turned around and saw Leliana approaching me like a cat sauntering over to a mouse. “Nathan, was it? Your tent was taken down, and your things have been moved to a cabin. You’ll be sharing with Adan. We can’t have our resident top healer sleeping in an old tent.”

I tried not to grimace since I did like my privacy, but the promise of a warm bed smothered all the annoyances and plans I had.

“Resident top healer?” I questioned the title. “Hm. Still better than the ‘Herald’ crap. Maxwell is going to wake up shocked.”

She raised a curious brow. “You don’t believe he might have been sent by the Maker to save us?”

“I’m not a sheep.” I responded, pausing a moment before affirming, “I’m a black sheep.”

She seem to know what I meant to describe. “So you stay in the herd to keep safe, but you don’t follow what we believe?”

“Not all of it,” I amended. “The Maker is a mysterious being after all. So whatever happens in this world, I don’t think that Maker ever planned for it. I would say…. Maxwell somehow became the figure of the idiom: _wrong place and wrong time_.”

She smiled thinly at that as if knowing it all too well before she went ahead and did why she came to me in the first place rather than sending a messenger to inform me of my move.

“Where are you from, Nathan?” She asked. Her tone sounded to me ‘lie and I’ll screw you over’, but I don’t think she would do that. Still, it was a warning to me rather than a simple question.

“The Free Marches. Typically everywhere,” I answered with ease. “As I’ve said, I used to work with a mercenary company, and we travelled a hella lot–––I mean a lot.”

That slip didn’t go unnoticed by the Spymaster. I know that I talk strange. My rough accent still hasn’t change, and I’ve sometimes say God instead of Maker. It’s only been a year after all, and I’ve been trying to speak proper rather than resorting to slang. Reading aloud from these old books made it easier, but of course I still slip.

“Hmm.” She hummed in a sort of confirmation that she was listening, but still so curious to learn more of my background. Was she digging up my secrets or something?

“That will be all, Nathan.” She said, turning away now and reigning in her interests. “Rest well.”

She went away and I heaved out a soft sigh before heading to the direction of Adan’s cabin. I’ve never felt so threatened, and my mind was already telling me to leave and run away––––and this was Leliana. If she hasn’t changed and still has good in her heart, she wouldn’t harm me, not when society here seems to revere to me.

Put it out of my mind.

I entered the cabin, and Adan acted like I invaded his privacy or something before I informed him we are to be sharing from now on. Like me, he was less than happy but I hardly care as I went to my bed, noticing my chest was there.

Sleep came immediately as I embraced the dark-pitched dreams.

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The Herald woke up the next day, and I could feel the gaze Solas was boring into me. Ignoring my surroundings, I just walked to the clinic and checked on my patients.  Then I had new patients, a few more soldiers wounded on the road from the stray rifts releasing demons. That rift would need to be closed up.

Otherwise, the day went on uneventfully, and I spent my time writing on my journal.

It was around passed noon that I had Adan and his assistant take over my shift before I went to the tavern to eat lunch. Just when I entered, Varric was already waving me over to join him, and his companion. Max.

I went over to join the table. “Max. How are you doing?”

“Good. I heard you were one of the healers taking care of me,” He began to say. “Thank you. Again. I never figured you to be a healer as well with the way you use daggers.”

I shrugged. “With times like this, one must learn to take up a weapon.”

“Oh, you two know each other?” Varric voiced out this revelation, and I wondered why he voiced it aloud so other people from nearby tables could hear it. I wasn’t amused.

Max didn’t seem to notice, only encouraging. “Before the explosion, my uncle and I were attacked by bandits. It was ten against two, since our coachman was actually working for the bandits. We were outnumbered and my uncle couldn’t fight. When the leader of the bandits threatened us, Nathan here was sneaking around the bushes, grabbing the enemy one by one, and ending them. The bandit leader didn’t even noticed until there were only half of them left. While he wondered what happened to his lackeys that’s when Nathan leaped out and delivered a knocking blow across the face of the leader…”

Varric was listening intently to Max’s story, and even I was a bit enraptured, feeling a little bit proud of myself to make such an impact. Max sounded like a little kid retelling the story; it was endearing. I looked around, and noticed some people nearby, looking at our table and listening to Max’s story. Now I’m starting to wonder what my reputation is to this people, and how much can this story get highly exaggerated.

Noella brought me the usual food without even asking what I wanted, and I thanked her. Bread, slice of meat, cheese, and some wine are easy and fast to swallow.

Max was just finish the story while I was halfway done with my meal. Varric was shaking his head, but he was smiling broadly, “Wow, _Cleric_ , first you heal people, then you make intuitive predictions, and lastly you can fight. Mind if I write a story about you?”

Ahh, that’s why he’s so nosy. I’ve become a potential inspiration for any character he would bring up in his mind, but I didn’t answer that. The nickname made me pause.

“Intuitive predictions?” Max questioned.

Then I added an inquiry, “ _Cleric?_ ”

The dwarf answered our questions respectively, “He predicted twice that you would wake that day when you closed the breach, and he even predicted you would wake up today. He calls it intuition. And, it’s Cleric, because you are very much like a cleric and then you’re not.”

Max was still confused, processing so I went ahead to demand casually, “Explain. I’m hardly a cleric, and nothing at all a cleric.”

Varric’s smile widened to a smirk. “What? You’re _nice_ to people… I heard when a soldier with a cast leg tried to go back into battle, you stopped him, and then you threatened to break his other leg if he didn’t limp back to his cot.”

Then the Herald gave a jaw dropping look while I was nodding my head, remembering that incident and the soldier’s look of fear. At first, he didn’t believe me until I started making a countdown and he hurried to the cot. I suppose my threats caused people to be wary and to stay out of my way. Though I’ll admit I should have handled it differently, it was probably unprofessional of me to threaten a patient, but the idiot was being an idiot.

I sighed. “Yes… That’s very accurate.”

“You have done that?” Max asked, shocked then he seem to pause, eyes looking back to an imaginary image. “Oh wait… I would believe that.”

I gave Max an appalled look before he grinned at me sheepishly. Cheeky brat.

Max and Varric conversed away while I finished up my meal. I bid them good night after refusing the dwarf’s offer to play cards. I had this feeling I was going to get screwed over playing with them, and that my chances would be low on winning, but when I left Varric managed to get three more patrons to play. He’s probably going to make sure that the odds would be against everyone but Max, letting him win and all.

My cabin was just nearby, and I was going there to retrieve something, but then I saw Solas, looking at me intently. His face was literally shouting, ‘I need to talk to you’. Though he would probably say it in a more polite and professional way.

Approaching him, as expected, as he said those words with prose, “Do you have time to discuss a certain matter?”

I nodded, “I have time before I must return to the medical tent. What is it that you need, Solas?”

“It’s these rumors… have you really revived many back from the dead without magic?” He questioned out of curiosity. I’m surprised he started hearing it now, but I suppose when he first heard it, he didn’t believe it or something.

“Through unconventional, non-magical methods, yes,” I said to him casually. “But I’ve only revived two soldiers, the people here exaggerate. _And_ , I learned the method from someone else.”

“And who is this someone else?” Great. Interrogation. First Leliana last night and now Solas.

I shrugged, using the same answer as I’ve given to Varric. “Another crazy healer.”

We had a staring contest. I suppose Solas expected that the more he gave me the deadpan look, the higher the chances that I would tell him the truth. Very unlikely as I was holding back my own blank stare against the elf. After much drawn out silence, he let out a sigh.

“Well… do you mind explaining how this method works?”

I opened my mouth but stopped, when someone was yelling and I looked over to see it was Adan’s assistant, calling for me and shouting that someone had stopped breathing.

I gestured to the elf. “Run with me, and I’ll show you.”

He did run with me as we hurried to the medical tent. I had already shown Adan how to do CPR, and he was doing it correctly. Another healer was leaning to listen for any breath, but he shook his head to Adan. Adan kept going since I taught them all to never stop.

“Stand to this side, Solas.” I told our visitor as I checked on the patient. “Don’t stop, Adan.”

I reached in to touch under the neck and it was beginning to get cold.

Fuck. There was no choice now. I know I’ve said I only revived two people, but because only two slipped inside the tent. The others that didn’t make it were already dead for a while before medical care would be given to them. This one, _Jorgen_ … I remembered talking to him this morning.

“Keep going, Adan. Solas, I need your assistance,” I insisted as he rushed over to me but I led him away, going to the only desk in this large tent. There was a small chest underneath it and I pulled it out, taking a device. “Can you make lightning?”

“Yes.” He sounded confused.

“Good,” I told him as I took out the device. I handed him the wire, getting him to hold it. “Hold the copper end and charge it with lightning.”

He was blinking at me confused but he created a lightning orb upon his hand. Grabbing the two handles, I led him back to the bed of the patient as he kept charging it. I lay it down on the table, telling people not to touch. It needed to charge long enough so for now… I’m going to have to do the other part of CPR.

I made sure there was nothing on his face that could cause some blockage before tilting his head back. I leaned in and breathe air into his mouth. Right now, I could a lot of stares on me when I did this, and Adan’s pace slowed down, but at least he didn’t stop. I blew air at least three times before pulling back. Of course, there were stunned looks but I cut in, “Adan, don’t slow down!”

He picked back up to the steady pace, and I waited before I breathe air in again.

It was a little over two minutes when we kept doing this and the patient still didn’t breathe yet. Then Solas informed me, “Nathan. The objects are...glowing?”

I pulled away, seeing there was a blue light on each of the objects. I grabbed them and started rub them together, electricity charring from the touch as I instructed Adan to pull back and remove the patient’s chest.

Adan did pull back, and he and the assistant opened up the patient’s shirt, exposing his chest.

“Don’t stop charging, Solas!” I told him as I moved in. “Clear!”

Pressing the two objects on the chest, Jorgen’s body jolted from the shock delivered by this defibrillator. I pulled away, ordered Adan’s assistant to check his pulse. Simona hesitated before placing her two fingers under the jaw for pulse and she shook her head. I told her to get away as I moved the handles on him again.

“Clear!!”

Another shock delivered. We did this three more times. Three exhausting deliveries of shocks to get this soldier back to the living. I could tell Solas was getting a little weary from holding a lightning orb over a long period of time.

“Clear!” The last fourth and I had Simona check again.

Her eyes widened. “There’s a pulse!”

I put the objects back down on the ground and told Solas he can let go. He wearily stopped charging it before placing it down on the ground, astounded by the object but like everyone else, our attention was back to the patient. Leaning in to hear, there was now steady but slow breathing.

I pulled back letting a sigh. “He’ll be fine,” I’ve said to reaffirm everyone’s hopeful expectations. A surge of relief overtook the room, and the other patients in the tent started to cheer a bit. One of the healers even ran out to spread the good news.

Simona helped dressed the patient again before covering him with a blanket. My shift has now started rather dramatically and I informed the rest of the healers to keep check on Jorgen.

Turning to Solas, I asked of his opinion. “So… what did you think?”

“…That was… I’ve only heard about the _compressions_ but not the kiss nor this lightning device,” he said and I only flushed at the kiss. I knew it!! That was going to spread everywhere if Solas thought it was a kiss. Perhaps he knew it wasn’t a kiss, but what else are you supposed to call it?

I picked up the device, making sure not to touch the shock part. “This is called a defibrillator. It jumpstarts the heart back to beating––at least will try to, and in this case it worked.” I explained to him, then pointed, “And _that_ wasn’t a kiss. I was blowing air into his mouth.”

He just hummed with interest, deep in thought. He decided to ignore the kiss part and questioned more about the device to which I told him that it used to belong to the crazy healer.

Once Solas was sated with his question, he went away while I put the device back into its chest. I settled down, having to take a moment and breathe before I got back up to check on each of my patient.

Jorgen woke up later on at night, and he was informed how he passed away but we had revived him. He was offering so many thanks, and I told him to rest up and give his all to the Herald. I might as well get the heat off of me and pass it to Max. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.

Pulling a late night shift, I took the extra clean cot and slept.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be updating every other two weeks. Expect the next chapter on Nov 6, Sunday, Midnight Pacific time.


	3. Another Day in Haven

 

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“You came to watch too?”

I glanced down to meet Varric before returning a simple nod, “I have a feeling… someone’s going to get hurt, and it’s not the Seeker.”

Then they heard a curse coming from Max, and the sparring stopped as he held his bleeding hand.

“You called it, Cleric,” Varric noted as I was already making way over to the two, who paused to see that I was coming. The Seeker took a step back and she was flushing for some reason, avoiding to look at me. Max seemed also hesitant before letting me see his hand.

“Alright, what’s wrong?” I questioned as I looked over the gash across his backhand before getting out some bandages from my coat pocket.

Max must have blinked because he answered dubiously, “Well, I was cut––”

“Not about this. Why are you two looking at me strangely?” I amended my question, which caused both Cassandra and Max to look away.

“They’ve probably heard about _it_ ,” Varric said who had come to join us as he stood next to my right. I could hear him snickering a bit as I finished bandaging the gash before looking at the dwarf with a deadpan look, waiting for him to continue.

He got the cue as his smile widened, saying, “The _kiss_ of revival.”

Now it was my turn to flush as Cassandra questioned, “Is it true??”

Max was pursing his lips, probably trying his best not to laugh, as I let out a heavy sigh, answering, “No! It’s not true. I do not think blowing air into an almost dead person’s mouth is considered kissing.”

“But you were locking lips, right?” Varric only continued and Max couldn’t help but snort, turning away as if to disguise it as a cough, but the damage was done.

I twitched. “You interested Varric?”

“Oh no, sadly, I’m a one-crossbow dwarf.” Of course Bianca. “And Bianca here is a one-dwarf lady.”

“Ohh I wouldn’t dream coming in between you two,” I responded in a mocking dramatic tone before letting Max’s hand go. “The bandages are laced with elfroot extract so it should heal by the end of the day.”

“Thank you,” he said then he got cheeky. “Is the kissing really true?”

“No, _Your Worship_ ,” I said the formal to which he grimaced. He hated being called something holy like the Herald. “The kissing is not true. It’s called mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”

“Where have you learned such methods?” Cassandra asked, and I gave the same response as I did to Varric and Solas, to which she just gave a deadpan look before shaking her head. At least she wasn’t more insistent to find out who the crazy healer was.

Judging that Max will be fine, I returned to the medical tent only to take care of the next patient.

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The whole day was uneventful, but that was a good thing. That gave me free time before supper so I went into the kitchen.

Flissa and Noella were surprised to see me there, and waving off their concerns, I asked to borrow the kitchen. They let me in the end as I got to work. They let me set up a cockpit outside and with the help of other servants, they filled up the cauldron with water and I let it boil once I added diced up druffalo meat and salt. Noella was nice enough to offer her assistance as she started cutting the vegetables while I started making the noodles. Flissa was curious of what I was making so she pitched in to help.

With everything prepped, there was only the waiting game. It needed two hours to boil, so I left it, instructing the two that no one is to touch the lid.

“What are you making?” I turned around to see Max and Varric, looking curiously at the cauldron.

I thought about it since it wasn’t beef. “Hmmm… Druffalo Ramen.”

“Druffalo…? Ramen?” Max questioned, having some trouble with the last word, as he looked to the dwarf to see if he knew what a ramen was.

Varric only gestured to me, saying, “He cooks too! Whatever ramen is.”

“It is soup with noodles,” I clarified but that didn’t help either. Of course. Thedas had yet to invent noodles.

They left me alone after that but promised to come back and check. At the first hour, I started adding the slices of vegetables in and let it cook for another hour. At the final minutes, I started beating five eggs into bowl and asked Noella to scramble five more.

Max and Varric seemed to have good timing, returning along with Solas and the Seeker Cassandra.

“Almost done?” Varric questioned and Solas added, “I see you are also familiar with culinary methods.”

I ignored Solas, continuing to beat the eggs fast with Noella next to me. “It’ll be done in about five minutes or less.”

Cassandra eyed suspiciously at the closed cauldron. “What is it?”

I gave her the same answer, and she only looked at me blankly. They all don’t know the concoction, but they were willing to try out. Never thought the Seeker would join in, but perhaps Max offered her to join them or something. I find it a little humorous though that they all think I would give them a share––of course I would since I can’t finish the whole pot, but it’s also more likely I’m feeding my patients, right?

Well…there’s actually enough for everyone.

I opened the pot and the aroma was released, spreading throughout the area almost instantly. They watched me stir the soup as I added the noodles. I kept stirring for five minutes, knowing that it’ll be done by then. I took out the long spoon and gestured for Noella to pour all the scrambled eggs in. She poured them slowly and the eggs laced around the broth cooking instantly from the heat.

Adding more finishing touches, and it was done. The alluring smell brought in more people, curious of what I had made while two servants brought lots of spoons and bowls. I told them to also fetch forks.

Once we were organized, we started serving the druffalo ramen, and I have to say, it was way better than Ferelden stew. It was so popular that I had to steal a pot-full which needed to be distributed to the patients in the clinic.

In less than an hour and a half, the soup was now at the bottom of the cauldron, and Noella gave away the last bit. I’m pretty sure we just fed everyone in Haven.

Already Flissa was asking for the recipe and I promised to give her a writing of it tomorrow. I managed to save my share before I went into the tavern to eat it in peace. Like moths, they came back to sit with me––well, Cassandra and Solas came to just thank me for the meal before leaving. Varric and Max were staying to keep me company.

“I won’t lie to you, but that was the best soup in all of Thedas,” Varric said, grinning. “You should come with us to the Hinterlands tomorrow.”

“I’ll pass.” I flat-out replied to which he shrugged as if he tried his best to convince me. “You two are travelling to the Hinterlands tomorrow?”

Max nodded, replying, “Along with Solas, Cassandra, and other soldiers, joining us for the five-day journey. We’ll be meeting with Mother Giselle, see if she can help us against the Chantry’s clergy at Val Royeaux. Then, we have to go see Master Dennet for horses, and…”

He went on with the list until coming to the part with the Mage and Templar war. He specified a little more about how the fighting was getting worse that a lot of innocent people were getting hurt, and then I cut in,

“Cave… The hostile mages are probably hiding in a cave,” I told him as my brows furrowed, thinking hard as something was scratching in the back of my mind. “And the Templars…are up a river that leads to a waterfall.”

It was silent. Both Max and Varric were staring at me before I quickly explained, “I travelled through the Crossroads in the Hinterlands before, and I must have heard it by passing.”

“Ohh, I see,” Max finally spoke, relaxing a bit, and I couldn’t help but frown. “What did you tell him?”

The question was directed at Varric, who seemed to understand what my problem was.

“Not much. Just saying you’ve predicted when he would wake. I mean, there’s no specific time, but just either today or tomorrow,” the dwarf explained with ease as if it wasn’t a big deal. “Now, if you’re right about this, maybe you have some sort of foresight?”

“I told you I’ve heard it from passing.” Perhaps I need to stop giving them predictions such as this one.

“We believe you,” Max amended as he looked at Varric to let it go, to which he did stop asking, but he gave me a look that he knows something was up.

Exhausted, I retired to my cabin. Solas was also just heading inside the cabin, but he caught sight of me. I expected more questions, but instead he bowed his head to me in acknowledgment before going in. Perhaps he too was tired, and I was glad for it. Heading inside, I could hear Adan snoring aloud before I slumped right down on my cozy bed.

Still, I can’t help but think about my bed from my home. Memory-foam mattress. I was completely spoiled, but after going through such hardships and change in Thedas in under a year, I was coping now and forgetting the sweet luxury…

Well, trying to forget. The dark dreams made it easier.

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It was early morning that they set off, and I was there to bid them good luck and the common phrase, ‘Maker go with you’. I remained at the side of the road until they were out of sight, and I went to get a quick breakfast from the tavern before going to the clinic.

As usual, I had some of them get out of bed and out the tent to move and stretch––but to not overdo it. When some questioned why at the first day, I told them it’s to get the body’s blood flowing and perhaps help them heal a little faster. Of course, only some were able to get out of bed while others would have to sit up and try not to reopen their stitches.

After breakfast, the soldiers that are now better were released and headed straight for morning practice. I could see Cullen through the open flap of the clinic tent, shouting out orders and waving his hand for the drilling to start while the servant maidens fetching water and other things would gather and gossip far away, admiring the former Templar’s physique.

With things slowing down, I started making a list of things that were missing and other essentials needed for the clinic to run smoothly. At least, things that I know we can afford or venture out to grab. I had Simona take over the clinic before I left to go to the chantry, which seems to be the main operations of the Inquisition. At first, I was going to give it to Leliana but she seemed to be busy; however, I did hear we had an ambassador here so I entered the chantry to look for her.

Was it her? My memory of the Inquisition spoilers were very vague.

I think I stood around for too long in the hallway of the chantry when someone spoke up in a rather monotonous tone, “If you’re looking for Ambassador Josephine, she’s in the office to your left.”

“Ohh thanks––” I was turning around to face the person but stopped short to see that it was a tranquil. _She_ is a tranquil.

I stepped back immediately, all the more cautious around her as I gripped the _cuffs_ on my wrists, checking if they were fastened.

She just stared at me blankly and I spoke again, “Thank...you…”

Hesitantly I walked towards to the room she directed me to. I was actually between bolting out of here rather than meeting with the Ambassador, but this was crucial. So long as the Tranquil didn’t try to touch me, it would be fine right? I hadn’t even known that the Tranquil were around here in Haven, but then again, where else would they go if every Mage Tower kept falling apart?

Knocking twice incurred a melodic soft voice, “Come in!”

When I walked right in, there were at least two people in the room. One elf on a far end desk with research papers, and a noble woman sitting on a clerk desk. This must be the Lady Ambassador.

“May I help you?” She asked, not seem to recognize me, which was fine as I approached her with my list.

“I’m Nathan. I’m a Healer at the clinic here, and we need to restock on our essential items,” I told her, quite professionally as I could. “This is the list of things that we would need, and because of the breach and people getting hurt, we’ve had a shortage on supplies.”

“O–Oh I see. The shipment should have already arrived, especially on some of the items listed here, but if not, I’ll have someone look into it,” She said, looking over the paper before she gazed up at me. Curious. “Do you…happen to be Messere Nathan?”

I waved her off. “I am Nathan. No need for the Messere.”

“Nathan it is then. I’d like to officially welcome you into the Inquisition,” She said rather sincerely that I thought she must have had so much practice with this because there wasn’t a hint that I wasn’t welcomed by some people. “For all your hard work, we’ll have your salary ready by the end of this week.”

“Thank you. I didn’t think about the wages, not with the free food and lodging.” I was rather impressed at how generous they could be, and although the pay might be low (compared to earthly standards) it would be better than nothing.

“It’s the least we can do for those who support the Inquisition and the Herald,” she said. “Your word–––your encouragement to Sir Jorgen that he should give his all to the Herald had caused everyone to put their faith in him. Our influence had grown much around here in Haven because of what you did for its people, and what you’ve told the soldier.”

I blinked as I recalled Jorgen. He had thanked me profusely and I told him to just serve the Herald. Definitely, it resulted that the heat was off of me, but I wondered how Max would react if he ever hears about this.

“So for that, we thank you for service, and hope you would continue uphold such desirable standards,” she finished.

“Always,” I responded which ended our pleasant conversation as I left her office. Closing the door, I checked for the tranquil again, and seeing she was not there, I quickened my pace to leave the chantry.

They _can’t_ touch me.

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“Say, Cleric, do you always wear those cuffs on your wrists?”

“Say, Varric, do you always have your shirt buttoned down?”

The dwarf smirked. “It’s all for the ladies. Am I distracting you?”

“ _Hardly_.” I made sure to put emphasis on that.

Eating supper in the tavern was becoming a routine, especially when meeting with Max and Varric, occasionally Solas. They had just arrived back in Haven yesterday, and now they were leaving early at dawn tomorrow to Val Royeaux to convince the clergy there that the Inquisition was not a threat. Although it is definitely heretical posing Max as some holy figure, which he detests so much.

Max then spoke, “Those cuffs look more like broken shackles, don’t they?”

I only shrugged, “It’s just a fashion statement.”

He accepted my lie, but he remained curious about them. Hopefully, they would soon forget about it and would get used to seeing them on my wrists.

The tavern started to quiet down a bit when a visitor walked right inside the tavern. At first I thought what could have caused to smother down drunken laughter, so I took a peek much to my grimace. It was the tranquil elf, the same one I came across a couple of days ago, and more often than not. Can the tranquil stalk? She was there outside the clinic just standing, and now she’s lingering on the far side of tavern that seemed empty.

What’s worse, she’s staring straight at me.

“She… is a tranquil, is she not? She’s looking straight at you,” Max noted the suspicious activity, but I stood up, treating it nonchalantly.

“Perhaps she has a question. I will go talk to her.” Dismissing myself immediately, I walked over to her and she seem to tense up a bit. Strange since they are not supposed to feel emotions, and I was beginning to wonder if these _shackles_ were even enough to guard against… unnecessary problems.

She seem to understand when I gestured my head for her to follow me, thus we left the tavern together ignoring spectators. I kept a good 2-meter distance away from her, and she understood the space. We walked until we were at the unbuilt trebuchet with hardly anyone around.

“You’ve been following me everywhere.” I pointed in a matter of fact tone.

She didn’t have any qualms. “Yes I have.”

We stared. I gave her a deadpan look while she gazed back blankly in a daze. After a while, I let out a sigh, trying to be as civil as I can.

“What is your name and why are you following me?”

“My name is Avexis.” My brows raised hearing that, feeling the dread in the pit of my stomach as she continued, “And I… I don’t know… I feel--”

“No, no, no, you do not _feel_.” I cut her off insisting as I marched over to close in the distance, which proved to be a mistake as she let out a small gasp of surprise, and immediately I took several steps back: 4-meter distance. She dulled again and I took a moment to compose myself before trying to approach the problem again.

She spoke, “I… I am not supposed to feel, but standing near you, there is…a pull. A cry…Soft and faint yet I could feel.”

I suppressed a groan, gripping my head. Months ago, I’ve encountered a couple of the tranquil, and the results when being near them, or even letting them touch me, weren’t good. This _aura_ is more trouble than it does any good, which was why I locked it away with these cuffs.

I can’t let anyone know, especially with this tranquil, but this wasn’t just any tranquil…

This was Avexis.

“You are imagining, Avexis. We are done, and you are to not follow me.” Harsh. I know, but I just can’t risk my secrets. She actually frowned at me, but she also looked confused. Turning way, I left just as quickly as when we arrived there.

Opening the door to my cabin, I didn’t spare a glance to either Solas or Adan and just slumped down on my bed.

I waited for the darkness to put me out of my misery.

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	4. Bringing in More Weirdos

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“I heard I have you to thank for.”

I blinked for a moment, blankly staring at the spymaster. It just so happened that she and I were walking towards the same direction. I mean, we’ve crossed many times but we hardly exchange words except for nods of acknowledgement.

This was the first she spoke to me since that night.

She stared while I only blinked again. “Thank me for what exactly?”

“The information you gave to the Herald: the locations for the rogue Templars and hostile mages? It seems that you were correct,” she said as she watched me closely to see my reaction.

My response was me crossing my arms and nodding my head. “That’s good. Is the Inquisition clearing them out? They are causing too much problem in the crossroads, I hear.”

“Oh naturally when the Herald returns, but I wanted to know…” Oh, there it is. Interrogation by the Spymaster. “Where have you heard it?”

“Word of mouth. Passing rumors. What does it matter?” I asked, not in an arrogant, biting tone, but just typical nonchalance.

She didn’t answer my question but instead went straight to the point, “If you have any information to spare that would prove helpful to the Inquisition, feel free to share.”

I was a little suspicious if that was all she wanted. “Of course. If I can think of anything remotely helpful, I’ll let you know first.”

As she was walking away, there was something scratching in the back of my mind. I couldn’t tell what it was, but I know it was trying to tell me something. My brain was doing its best to make me remember what I had forgotten, and nothing was clicking.

At the end, I put it out of my mind.

Walking back to the clinic, my steps slowed down when I saw Avexis was back and she was talking to Adan. I got a little closer to just listen to the conversation between the two.

“But I am sick.” She said so monotonously.

Adan frowned her confused. “You can’t be sick… or at least I’ve never heard of a sick tranquil.”

“I do not feel… right….” She trailed off and as if sensing me, she turned around to face me and her face would brighten.

I took a step back. “Something wrong here? Adan?” I pressed for him to answer.

He noticed what I did but only continued, “This tranquil here thinks she’s sick.”

“But I do feel sick.” She responded dully and stared blankly at me.

I could feel my left eye twitching at this before I gestured for Avexis to go inside the clinic. “Let me take a look at you inside. Take a seat on any empty cot you see,” I told her. She looked at me for a second before going to do what I said.

Adan looked at me like I was crazy but I just shook my head as I went in, stepping aside from the alchemist mage. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who avoided the tranquil. Naturally, the people of Thedas are afraid of mages, and though the tranquil is harmless, they make them uncomfortable because they don’t act like people.

I had to stop a meter again from her and she shifted in her seat.

“Avexis. How are you feeling?” I asked her naturally, though that was a stupid question.

Still, she answered, “I am not supposed to feel. I could…”

She trailed off and at the moment, I was glad that there were only a few patients here on this side of the tent.

“When did you start… _feeling…_?” I already knew the answer, but I had to ask.

She didn’t fail to deliver. “I started _feeling_ when I met you. I could… feel the fade from you.”

“Stop.” Lowering my voice, I moved my body to block her from the others, but I kept my distance. “Avexis. Listen to me. That is not good. If you continue to get close to me, you will lose your mind. You won’t be able to handle…”

The look on her face halted me from finishing. I could see slight emotion as she started to look discourage. Saddened.

“I… if you think it is for the best.” Guilt wrenched me a moment there because truly I believe tranquility was barbaric. The mage would have been better off dead rather than becoming a doll that wouldn’t be able to say yes or no.

Stepping back, there was nothing else for me to say or do. The conversation was silenced, and Avexis seem to get the message as she stood up. She moved to leave, staying away from me, and she went out without saying another word.

Part of me was relieved she was gone. The other part was calling me a bastard. I could have helped her, but I convinced myself that I could only ruin her more, if I save her.

Putting it out of my mind, I went back to work.

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“So, what’s with the shackles? You like some friggin’ escaped prisoner, or are you into that kinky shit? That’s really weird!”

I twitched a moment, listening to this blond elf girl before facing the Herald who was forcing a smile

 I questioned, “What the hell did you bring home?”

So stunned with the crass elf, my slang language actually slipped out, causing the audience before me to wear curious looks. I cursed internally for that, but this character was just so… mindboggling.

Max ignored my slipped, clearing his throat. “Nathan, this is Sera. She’s with the Red Jenny, and she’s offering to help the Inquisition.”

My interests’ perked. “Red Jenny? …You do know that there’s a possibility she might steal from us.”

“Hey! I won’t do that!” Sera protested. “Who are you anyway?”

I decided to ignore her as I was waiting for Max to respond. He picked up the cue as he took the position of mediator. “Sera will prove to be a valuable ally, and she’s quite an expert in archery. Besides, I don’t think she would dare to steal.” He said that last part lowly, but Sera still caught it.

“Hey! I can steal pretty good if I want to! But I don’t want to.” She said, indignantly crossing her arms.

“That’s great. Why don’t you broadcast---I mean, yell it louder for the world to hear you?”

Perhaps it was a little immature of me to egg on Sera, but the more we argued, it seemed to fall into place that we would be the two talking shit at each other all the time. Just constant rudeness between the two of us, and Max realized that too. So, he gave up the mediating position as we all settled down to have dinner.

“So, Cleric, your accent slipped out a couple times,” Varric pointed out, grinning. “What does _hell_ mean?”

My lips quirked down. “It means the void.”

Solas hummed before stating, “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of the phrase _hell_ before. Did it originate from your hometown?”

Rolling my eyes, I answered, “Yes. From North Wherever.”

Max and Varric both laughed aloud, Sera’s gaping at me, and Solas threw me an amused look, but their reactions were a little unexpected, except for Solas.

“Did I miss something?” There was obviously an inside joke here, and Sera made it even more complicating when she asked, “You two plannin’ something? What the frig!”

I raised my brow at her confused until Varric cleared it up, “Hahaha, on the way here, the Herald asked Sera where she came from, and like you, she won’t technically say where, but _he,_ ” he gestured to Max, “said that he came from _North_ _Wherever_ too.”

Seeing the amusement now, I snorted at the coincidence.

Thankfully, no one questioned the slang and the accent anymore, nor my hometown. I think they got the point that, like Sera, I don’t talk about where I come from. Nor do I care where they all originated from, even though I have an idea where. Besides, there would be no way for them to understand, nor would they even believe that I was from another world.

I checked on the clinic and worked there for a couple of hours. Avexis was there again, but as soon as she saw me, she hesitated and left. The guilt was wrenching me again, and I only have to put it out of my mind. I keep telling myself that I can’t help her. There’s no way…

Late at night, I left the clinic and returned to my cabin. Of course, it just so happens that Solas was waiting for me to show. At least, it seemed like it with the way he stood outside his own cabin, leaning against the wall. The look on his face says it all though.

Holding in a sigh, I approached him. “Do you need something, Solas?”

“That depends. Would you give me a straight answer?” He asked, and I have to say, that was a rather arrogant response.

“Only if you do the same.” I fired back, and he seemed to frown at that, but before we could debate on who’s more obscure, I suggested, “How about this? Let’s play the twenty-twenty question.”

His brows furrowed at the unfamiliar term. “Twenty-twenty?”

“Yes. I ask a question and you either answer or say pass, and I’ll ask another one until I get an actual answer. Then, when I do, it’ll be your turn to ask a question. Any obscure or classified answers will be considered a pass. Agreed?”

He took a moment to mull over my suggestion before nodding, “Very well. You may go first.”

It took me a while to think of one. “…Why did you come to help?”

He paused a moment as if not expecting that sort of question. He probably thought I was going to ask him of something personal like where he came from.

“…I wanted to help,” he answered. “…I thought that I could help, and the breach was a dire threat to all of Thedas. Still is now even when stabilized, it could be disrupted…”

For now, I nodded, accepting his answer. “Your turn.”

“Where were you born?” He asked and immediately I answered, “Pass.”

He wasn’t so surprised. “I thought so… Who is the ‘crazy healer’ that you learned from?”

I did not expect that, but I did consider answering this one, instead of being invasive. “…Dahlia. That was her name.”

He asked who she was and I only reminded him that it was my turn. When it was his turn again, I told him pass. He did not like that but we only continue this game, and we did give honest answers to the right questions. At his twentieth question, because I was keeping count, I ended the game, explaining to him that that is how twenty-twenty works.

He complied to end the evening for now, but he wished to do this again some more when the nights are young like this.

“We’ll see…” I told him before returning to my cabin to sleep and meet the dark dreams.

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“What exactly did you bring home this time?” I asked once I approached Max, who came to visit me in the clinic.

He seemed to stop, a bit surprised. “How did you know?”

“Too many are gossiping,” I told him as we walked outside of the clinic, and there I saw at the entrance of Haven was a giant horned qunari. Nodding my head, I turned to Max. “You brought a Qunari? Or a Vashoth? Tell me he’s a Vashoth.”

“Qunari…” Max answered hesitantly, somewhat careful after seeing my reaction. “He mentioned being a Ben-Hassrath.”

“You took in a _spy?_ ” The Valo-Kas mercenary band had informed me very well about how Thedas is. At least more than I would ever know. I thought Sten was pretty cool, but learning more about the Qun, I was becoming unsure. I wouldn’t have a problem against them if not for the treatment against their mages and how the Qun treat its people like they were acceptable losses given any circumstances.

Somehow the big qunari happened to know that we were talking about him as he came over to join in on the conversation. “Hello Boss. Just letting you know my Chargers and I are settling just well.”

“Good. _Leave._ ” I answered for Max, but Max gave me a stern glare and the big bull horned spy raised a brow at me, but his lips was turning to a smirk.

“Nathan,” Max said my name with a scolded tone before he took a moment to rethink, and decided to introduce me to the spy. “This… is the Iron Bull. Mercenary Captain of the Chargers. Bull, this is Nathan. He’s our Head Healer.”

“Ahh yes, I’ve heard about you,” He began to say and my scowl deepened as he continued, “You’re the Healer that could bring people back to life.”

“Through _non-_ magical methods,” I emphasized and he raised his brow again skeptically.

“I heard that too,” he said, and stopped right there. He didn’t believe me but that’s fine.

However, I didn’t stop the conversation there. Crossing my arms, I challenged him. “You’re Ben-Hassrath, aren’t you? A _spy?_ ”

He backed up, raising his hands defensively. “Don’t you worry, I’m not the enemy right now.”

“Not yet,” I icily added. He blinked at me before he burst into uproarious laughter, making me and Max wear confused looks. I looked to Max, reprimanding, “You had to get a crazy one.”

Max opened his mouth but no words were coming out. Then, the Iron Bull regained his composure and explained himself, “Ohhh, hahahaha, this is a little too much. You’re the first human that wouldn’t shit his pants when meeting me… or at least, isn’t intimidated of me. You met another Qunari?”

“I’ve met many Vashoth,” I said proudly enough that he would grimace.

He backed up now, getting the message. “Alright, no need to bite. Just so you know and you remember, Boss, my Chargers and I are on your side. So whatever you need, just let us know.”

And with that, he left Max and me alone. I could feel the scolding glare from the side and I faced Max, who was the source of said glare. “What?”

He let out a heavy sigh, dropping the look. “Nothing. Are you Tal-Vashoth?”

“I’m not a True Grey unlike the mercenary company I travelled with.” Then I stopped. Was I actually going to tell him where I was from? Well, not originally, but who I had travelled with before?

He looked at me confused before I told him the difference between just Grey and True Grey. I wasn’t actively seeking to undermine the Qun, even if the whole mercenary band was if there was ever an opportunity. You could say I wanted to be called Grey just to be with them.

If it wasn’t for them and for Dahlia, I wouldn’t be here. I told him how they helped me how to fight and Dahlia taught me how to heal people.

Then Max was giving me a sort relieved look compiled with a warm smile and gleaming eyes.

“What?” I questioned for his gaze.

“Nothing… it’s just that this is the first you’ve told me something about yourself that wasn’t so obscure.” He pointed out, then he bid me goodbye as I watched him go.

The rest of the day went on peacefully. It gave me time to write things down on my journal and also to try and remember. For days now, something has been scratching the back of my head, as if I was forgetting something very important. The import was at the alert of apocalyptic level, so what? What was it that I was forgetting?

Other than trying to remember, there weren’t a lot of patients in the clinic so I had most of my staff either have a day off or doing more chores such as cleaning and changing seats, keeping the tent clean. I swear we need a building exactly just for the clinic, rather than this huge tent.

As I was writing a request for a clinic building to be built, I could hear people shouting and some soldier ran right into the tent. He was a young man with no stubble, not wearing any Inquisition Armor, but he didn’t look like he was going to hurt anyone.

Instead, he spotted me and rushed over to me. “You’re the Head Healer here, right?”

“What’s the problem?” The urgency in his tone made me drop my quill as I stood from my chair.

He gestured for me to follow and I went along with him at a quickened pace as he told me, “My friend. He’s stopped breathing.”

We hurried outside and near the camp further down, I could see the Iron Bull with many others, surrounding a person lying on the ground. Going over to the victim, the others moved way to give us space as I knelt down on the broad man in armor, blonde hair, who looked… He didn’t look pale.

I glanced up only once to see the Iron Bull wearing a blank look, and several others were looking serious. Inspecting this patient a little closer, I noticed that something was amiss…

In the end, I was highly unamused.

“Well, could you? Revive him?” One blonde Dalish elf told me and I only let out a sigh.

Instead of applying CPR, I pinched the nose of the warrior tight and even his mouth, not allowing air to come in or out. They were all looking at me strangely, but also, they looked nervous. Then the victim---who was just holding his breath----could no longer hold his breath as he started to struggle to get away from me in order to breathe.

I let go as the fake patient moved away to breathe and robust laughter spread all around.

“How did you know?” A dark skinned person asked.

“A healer knows when a person is faking,” I explained to him, but mostly because the vibe around me wasn’t so serious.

The young man---Krem as I’ve learned later---who led me here to help his fallen comrade was trying to stop laughing as he commenced to explain himself, “We… Hahaha! …We wanted to see you do the kiss of revival.”

Rolling my eyes, I began to get serious with them. “That is called _mouth-to-mouth resuscitation._ ” They all laughed at the mouth-to-mouth but I only continued, “The method is use with great import if I think the body is dying without oxygen. Along with CPR, they’re used to keep comrade to live long enough until medical attention gets to them.”

Some had stopped laughing to listen to me now.

“Can that be taught?” One of them asked.

“Yes.” The laughter was dying down a bit now, but there were still some joking.

The charger introduced himself, “I’m Stitches. I’m the healer and surgeon of Chargers. Would you mind showing me?”

I rolled my eyes at him and said, “Of course. You all should learn. That way, if you do fail, at least it felt like you’ve done something rather than watched them die.”

M words seemed to have struck a chord within them, and they were paying much more attention as I used the fake patient—Grim was his name—as the dummy in order to show them how CPR works.

This session went on for a half an hour and I stepped back to watch the chargers do it unto themselves. I watched to make sure they were doing it right, then a rather large bulky figure stood next to me and asked, “You didn’t mind teaching them after they tricked you?”

“It would awfully immoral of me to not teach them. You lot are mercenaries, and it’s bound to happen when one of you could die. You should have the knowledge on how to save a life… and if you can’t, then you must remember you did all that you can,” I explained to the bulky horned Qunari. “…Shit happens.”

I could feel him nodding like he understood, and perhaps he did. He may be of the Qun, but he acted nothing like he was their puppet.

“…So that kiss of revival?” I twitched at the mentioning as he continued to ask, “Did that really happen?”

“It’s called blowing air!” I protested indignantly and he only began to laugh.

This fucking lot, I swear.

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“So… you’re stuck between choosing the Mages or the Templars?”

Max let out a sigh. “And the advisors are split. Leliana wants me to go and meet Fiona while Cullen insists to go to the Templars… I don’t even think Josephine knows which side to choose. And everyone else has varying levels of opinions, especially Solas and Vivienne. Solas thinks we should go to the mages while Vivienne hints I should go to the Templars. It’s all a mess.”

I shrugged “That’s… fucked up.”

“You’re not helping…” He didn’t say it in a berated tone, but rather a sullen one.

He and I were the only ones left in the tavern still speaking coherently late at night with other groggy drunks, not excluding the giant qunari babbling in his sleep.

The Herald then let out a sigh, trying again, “What is _your_ opinion? In all this?”

“…Does it matter?” He looked like he was about to argue with me, but I continued, “It looks like you’ve already decided on how to go about this issue. I mean, to be honest, I don’t care who you choose. I just know you’ll get it right.”

He looked at me confused. “How would you know if I’ll get it right?”

“Because I trust you Max… at this level,” I added and he snorted. I had secrets and he knows it, but I wasn’t willing to share them, and he was fine with that. There was a level of trust that I gave to him more than the others here. I know I tell him more things than I would with Solas. “…And whatever you choose, I’ll stand by your decision.”

He let out a sigh, perhaps feeling the weight on his shoulders getting a little lighter. “I want to go see Fiona… I want to see if the mages could side with us.”

“Good… and you better come back alive and well,” I told him before drinking the last ounce of ale.

“And don’t bring home anymore _weirdos_. Honestly, Vivienne is already a piece of work.” I quickly added as I remember with disdain on how I first met the mage. Ugh. She made me want to hurt all over her outfit. Before her, Max brought home a grey warden, who was sickeningly into duty that even Varric nicknamed him as Hero. I didn’t like the vibe I was getting from him. He was too suspicious.

He elbowed me. “Nathan, that is rude!” However he was laughing.

The next time we met, Max actually did bring home another weirdo, coupling with bad news.

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	5. Feelings Are Complicating

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“The girl is here again.”

“Did someone tell her to come here, or something?”

“She’s so strange… you know what I heard? She was--”

“What’s the gossip here?” I asked, cutting in the three women working in my clinic as they jumped at my sudden presence.

They muttered apologies and excuses before pointing what the real problem was in the clinic, and I could only restrain a groan when I see it was the tranquil again, Avexis. To be honest, there was hardly anything I can do anymore, especially if she keeps coming back, and there was no way I was going to go and inform the advisors about it. However, I started to worry with these gossiping ladies, and they might indirectly cause Avexis trouble.

So I went to my next solution.

Approaching her, she stiffened and stood from the empty cot she was sitting on. I stopped a meter distance and we had this staring match. If she could make any emotions in her face at all, it’s already looking determined.

“…I want to stay.” She said, breaking the silence.

“…If you want to stay, get hot boiling water ready. You’re not going to sit around and do nothing,” He said. “You will help.”

“If you prefer, Messere.”

“Nathan. Just… Nathan.”

“Nathan.” She repeated dully but she went away to start boiling water outside. The gossiping ladies moved out of her way, and I could feel them gaping at me. Ignoring them, I went and check on patients’ vital signs.

The rest of the day, Avexis remained helpful. All her shifts were similar to mine, so for the whole day, she practically stayed close to me. Of course, I still placed a meter or two between me and her, just because I didn’t want to break the tranquility, because I know she will go crazy.

We’ve received multiple looks from many people around us. They found it strange that a tranquil was following me around, and I’m already thinking the backlash about this. They think that I’m bossing her around---that I am controlling her because she couldn’t say yes or no. Minerva was very suspicious of me and even pulled Avexis away by the end of the day.

The next day, Avexis only returned, and I put her immediately to work with assisting and helping. To be honest, she was more efficient than the other workers here. It helped that she was very good at potion making so if I needed a quick health potion for a patient, she already has one on hand.

It was like this for the whole two weeks, and I’ve noticed she was getting more… _feelings._

Her _feeling_ was starting to worry me, even though this should be a good thing.

I remember my first few months travelling with the Valo-Kas Mercenary Company, there was a tranquil when we encountered a hostile blood mage. It wasn’t on purpose when I grabbed her. I didn’t have a clue, even when Dahlia was yelling at me to stop. The tranquility broke, and she murdered the blood mage before turning her powers against us.

We couldn’t let her live with how insane she acted.

In conclusion, I don’t want Avexis sending a hoard of dragons to attack all of Thedas, which I’m very sure she’s capable of.

“I see Avexis has been following you all the time,” Leliana spoke as we crossed paths that morning.

“Not sure why,” I lied through my teeth with a nonchalant tone. “But if she’s going to be following, she might as well help around the clinic.”

She only hummed before getting straight to the point, “People are saying that you are taking advantage of her.”

“Of course, people would say that, but I assure you, Avexis can leave whenever she wants from my presence,” I made it clear for her. “Otherwise, it’s always Minerva that pulls Avexis away.”

“And she always comes back the next morning to you… Why is that?” Leliana asked.

“I don’t know. I’m one of the rudest people you could ever meet,” I stated and she didn’t seem to disagree about that.

“While that proves to be true,” she had to add that with a teasing smile, “Some people say it shows you have a gentle, caring side, being very considerate towards Avexis while many people would have turned her away.”

I shrugged at that. “So there are mixed opinions about me. That’s fine. So what? I’m not here to impress anyone. I’m here…”

Trailing off, I figured out why we were talking about this in the first place. Note to self: Leliana is always suspicious of me, and who wouldn’t be? I say odd things, and I’ve done strange things from brushing my teeth with baking soda to saying things like ‘hell’ or ‘Jesus’.

She raised a brow at me, waiting for me to finish. “…I’m here to help.”

“I know.” She said, more gently now.

When I returned to the tent, Avexis was there prepping beds for any patient that would come in today.

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“Of course, you’d bring another weirdo.” My rather rude statement made the noble with the moustache gap dramatically while Max introduced him to me.

“Nathan, this is Dorian Pavus. He’s helping us with the dire problem in Redcliffe. Did you hear?”

Shaking my head, I put my journal away. “I’ve heard. Fiona has gone crazy. If it’s not rebelling the circles, it’s signing yourselves away to a Tevinter Magister.”

“Ohh, I know what you mean,” this Dorian began to speak and I raised my brow at him. “I wasn’t talking to you, _Altus_.”

His brows raised. “Ah, another rude fellow to grace my presence, but I must say I’m surprised you know that I’m an Altus.”

“Besides the fact you look like you were born to have a silver spoon in your mouth, the high end fabric of your clothing, and the propriety tonal prose?” I commenced sarcastically. “I’ve no clue how I was able to know you might be the son of some high class noble.”

Dorian turned to Max and asked, “Is he naturally this rude?”

Max just laughed before walking away to get their meals. Dorian took a seat across from me indignantly and proceeded to prod me with questions. “So what is your role here in the Inquisition?”

“I’m the Head Healer,” I answered casually before picking up my bread to break into pieces before eating.

“Healer…? You’re not a very… comforting person,” he noted aloud, which made me smirk. If anything, I was a very intimidating person as I was told before by friends and colleagues.

He questioned me like all the others when he found out I was the rumored healer that could bring people back to life without magic. Of course, it became circular and my words became ruder that eventually he gave up and said he was no longer interested. Eventually Varric joined in on the table, essentially nicknaming the Altus ‘Sparkler’.

The night dragged on until it was only Max and I left again to discuss on matters.

“You have three brothers?” I chuckled. “How was that growing up?”

Max shook his head. “I was the youngest, so I was mostly spoiled by mother, but my father expected more of me and be as good as my brothers.”

“How did they react with you being the Herald of Andraste?”

“Not so well---I mean. Mother worries for my health and begs me to come home, same with my father saying that this isn’t my fight… My oldest brother is a Templar and offered his services to the Inquisition. He believes in what I do. My second oldest is more aligned with my parents, and he doesn’t want anything to ruin the family name. Lastly, my third brother—he’s a mage—he thinks… He thinks I should do what is right, and restore the circles.”

We never talked about this part. Politics. “Do you want to restore the circles?”

“I… No… I mean, the Circles can’t be like a prison,” Max explained. “Also, no Templars. Mages should govern themselves, but not like Tevinter. There should be restraints and rules, or people that would enforce the rules, but not like Templars… No, there shouldn’t ever be Templars…”

“…Why not Templars?”

“…My oldest brother stopped taking lyrium because he saw another older Templar going insane when he was cut off from it… Ian didn’t want to be leashed. Hopefully, he didn’t take it for long.”

I let out a heavy sigh at that. “That’s… good…. I had a brother. An older one, but I lost him when I was still young.”

“What happened?” He asked hesitantly as if I was about to close up, but I wanted to tell him.

“...He was taking something harmful to himself. Every time he took it, he was happy all the time, but when it wears off, he becomes violent and uncontrollable. He always had an anger in him that my parents didn’t know what to do. I was only eight years old when he gave me the drug. I ended up at a hos---hospice… My parents nearly lost me.”

That was the day I couldn’t forget how much yelling they did in the hospital room, and how nonchalant my brother acted as if he didn’t just almost kill me with the drug substance. Dad had told him that he had to go, that he had to leave and a fight broke out between them. Security came in and took my brother away, tossing him out.

“Maker…” Max breathe out. “…What happened then?”

“…My father disowned him and that was the last time I saw him. A week after, we received a letter that he died from a carriage accident.” Lies. He died from drug abuse, which caused the car accident because he was driving.

Max frowned. “I’m sorry…”

“No apologies needed… Just… you’re lucky to have brothers that care for you,” I said to him. I finished the last of my drink. “Alright, I think that’s enough sharing.”

Max smiled at that. “I like it when you share.”

“Ha, ha.” I stood up a little too fast and started to stumble. Max got up to his feet to help me, but somehow, he tripped which made me fall unto him…

And we both ended up on the floor with me on top and our lips locking.

It took me a second to pull back and he was flushing red. Hastily we both stood right back up. The heat of embarrassment clearing up alcoholic cloud in our brains as we mumbled through our apologies. Max hurriedly left and I cursed. Holy fuck…

Holy fuck…

Things are going to be awkward from now on, huh?

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He wouldn’t look at me the next day as he and a small company were leaving again for Redcliffe to take it back from the Magister. I was just making my way to the clinic, stopping at the gates to watch Max leave. He saw me and we stared before he turned away, beet red. Cassandra leaned in to ask something of him, probably if he had a fever or something.

“What did you do?”

I flinched a bit, turning around to see that it was Bull, standing over me. He noticed the eye contact?

“What makes you think I did anything?” I fired back when I composed myself.

Bull just crossed his arms, analyzing me a little more. Then he grinned, “You two did something right? Are you and him..?”

Hastily, I snapped, “Heck no. What you suggesting is crap. Bull. Probably why you’re like Bull because you’re full of shit.”

The hastiness sort of gave me away and my strange accent surfaced, which was now a cue for the Qunari to think I was lying and to confirm his suspicions.

He fucking grinned. Ohh did I want to deck that grin.

“So not yet then?”

“Don’t you have anything else better to do? Shoo,” I waved him off before I walked away while he continued to egg me on from a distance. Shithead.

When I made my way to the medical tent, I expected Avexis but not with Solas. Somehow, Solas and Avexis talking sent alarms to my brain that I had to go over and intervene the two. I mean, what business did Solas have with Avexis? He hardly talked to any of his kind, let alone having a chat with a tranquil.

I couldn’t help but think it’s because of me.

“I would prefer you do not speak anymore.” I hear her say, and it made me feel relieved that they were not getting along well.

“Something wrong here?” I cut in, placing myself between though still putting a good distance.

Solas, sounding put off, responded, “Nothing. I have my questions and they’ve been answered. I will see you later, Nathan.”

Without another word, he walked off and curiously I turned to Avexis, who just stared after the retreating apostate. It was a few seconds of silence before I had to ask what had just happened, and she simply said nothing.

Other than that strange occurrence in the morning, everything went on as it did yesterday except now my thoughts were filled with Max. Was that considered kissing? Accidentally locking lips? Probably. Not only that, but I had told him about my brother, and a little bit of my family, and he didn’t prod for more than what I had given to him. Not only that, he shared some of his personal things that I’m sure he doesn’t with anyone else here in Haven. That made me feel… prideful.

I just thought Max as a close friend, but after what happened, everything felt a bit tense, especially at how he avoided me this morning. One stare and he turned away, perhaps still embarrass or (hopefully not) creeped out by me.

Fuck, I was going to spend days worrying about this, aren’t I?

I should be more worried whether or not they can beat the Magister, but somehow, I have a feeling that he can. That mark on his hand states that he has a destiny to fulfill, and he can’t do it if he’s dead.

Again, there was something scratching in the back of my head. Something important and it was making me feel apprehensive the longer I think about it. There was something important that I was forgetting---something so extremely crucial that it would keep me up some nights.

Put it out of my mind. There’s no use worrying about it.

One of these days, that thinking was going to bite me in the ass.

As Solas had said before, he would speak to me later. That later came when I was just heading to my cabin to sleep early tonight. He was there of course, and executing the usual look of ‘I need to talk to you’.

Reluctantly I complied, but I wasn’t walking over there even if it’s just several meters away. No. This time, I leaned against the wall of the cabin and waited for him to come over. There was a bit of a staring contest before he finally joined me to stand in front of my cabin.

“We need to talk.”

“We’re talking aren’t we? Twenty-twenty?” I suggested and he nodded, gesturing me to go first.

Complying, I asked, “What were you and Avexis talking about?”

“I asked her a question why she follows you around.”

I wanted to ask more but he let me know it wasn’t my turn anymore as he immediately proceeded to ask, “Why does she follow you?”

“…Pass.” I contemplated a bit on how to answer that, but no matter what lie I would give, it would come out suspicious or vague, so I might as well say pass.

He was unimpressed at that, but continued to make another question, “Alright, are you… taking advantage of her?”

That made me snap. “Jesus Christ. _NO_. Why does everyone think that?”

“The tranquil are people that can be easily manipulated. Whatever they prefer wouldn’t matter, because they would do it. They have no emotions to make them feel to say yes or no. Which is why I ask for the reason of her intentions to follow you around.” Solas explained his worries. “… If you say you are not, then I believe you. You may be rude, but not immoral, I should think.”

“Thank you. My turn--”

He interrupted, smirking, “Actually, I had answered your question pertaining to why people think you’re taking advantage of her, and so it would be my turn.”

I fell silent for a moment before adding to him, “ _Ass._ ”

He only continued, “Who is Jesus Christ?”

“Hmmm…Pass.”

This went on between us. It’s never anything revealing, just concerning topics about how we both feel with who Max had chosen. Solas seemed to approve highly that Max chose the mages’ side. I, however, had no opinions about it, rather than he would get shit done faster than the advisors.

Which made me wonder why they haven’t name him leader yet. All I know is that he was making most of the decisions around here.

We ended the twenty-twenty early and went to our respective cabins to sleep.

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Max was hugging almost everyone he knew when he returned. He even hugged Cassandra which shocked everyone, but it wasn’t unwelcomed, though I did feel a hint of jealousy. Anyway it was strange. Sure, it brought a strange happy vibe around Haven to see him smiling so wide and praising people, but it made me wonder deeply on what happened at Redcliffe.

Luckily, Varric shared the top secret with me, saying that the Inquisitor and Dorian were sent to the future where everything just fell apart and this ‘Elder One’ destroyed Thedas.

 _Shit_. That was a future I didn’t want to see, whereas Max must have seen everyone die before him, but at least it wouldn’t happen and now we know who was behind this. The Elder One. Again that scratchy thing in the back of my mind was bugging me. This was that feeling where I would kick myself if I happen to remember it.

Disappointingly but not unexpected, Max didn’t visit me for the rest of the day. Rather, he kept avoiding me again and my mind was telling me to leave this place for feeling unwanted. Can’t believe Max was causing me to have depressing thoughts over a possible loss friendship because of an accidental kiss.

My thoughts were proving wrong when at the end of the day, just as I was leaving the clinic, Max was right outside, standing and hopefully waiting for me.

He was waiting for me as he looked up to see me before his eyes averted, but he did wave at me.

“Talk to him,” Avexis told me, pushing me rather roughly, before leaving abruptly. That tranquil was becoming more daring every day.

Max blinked as he watched her leave after witnessing the pushy act. “Was that…?”

“Yes, and they say _I’m_ pushing her around,” I spoke casually, crossing my arms as we both stood there. It was a moment of silence passing before I could speak up again, “So… do you need something, Herald?”

He grimaced. “Max… Just Max. Can we talk privately, Nathan?”

I didn’t say anything but nodded as we walked far off from the camp and Haven, distant and alone. Once we were sure no one would hear, he started to talk first. He began by telling me what happened at Redcliffe when Alexius casted a spell that threw them into the future where Max was never there, and Thedas was controlled by the Elder One. I listened and believed every word; I already knew that Thedas would fall and burn without him. He had seen Cassandra and Varric tainted with red lyrium, Leliana in a diseased state, and Dorian’s friend, Felix, a ghoul.

“Then there was you…” he began. “…I…you weren’t…”

I waited for him patiently as I could, but I felt anxious. I didn’t like where this was going as I began to wonder what had happened into me in that apocalyptic setting.

He was indecisive of telling me but he sighed, and finished, “You weren’t yourself… you were changed. You became a _demon_ … Leliana said the Venatori did that you, and we had no choice but to…”

“To kill me?” I asked and he solemnly nodded. Shaking my head, I placed a hand on his shoulder. “That doesn’t matter anymore.”

He looked at me, surprised, “But we---”

“Do you hear me? It doesn’t matter,” I cut him off, stressing those words. “It never happened. Not anymore. Now that you’re back.”

Max turned away. “…And if I die?”

“You won’t.” I stressed again. “In any case, you’ll come back to us, just like this and before.”

“…Before?” He asked.

I smiled a bit at him. “The Breach was unleashed and then somehow, you found yourself to us. Alexius threw you into a time portal, and you came back to us… if you’re ever lost, we know you’ll be back, even if we have to struggle to find you. You’re smart, resourceful, Max… You’ll find a way.”

Then I took a step towards him, our faces just inches away. Lowering my voice, I sternly repeated, “And you better make sure to come back to us.”

Something here was happening between me and him. It was hot, and tension was high with how close he and I were. The distance between us was closing, and it was hard to tell who was leaning in closer first to—

“Herald! There are some things I’d like to discuss.”

Instantly we were interrupted and I had to pull away. We both had to look away and my eyes averted to glare at the ex-Templar and Commander of the Inquisition forces. My glare gave him hints that he had interrupted something because he slowed down his steps, looking between me and Max.

“Ohh, was I interrupting something?” He asked then he started backtracking. “We’ll talk tomorrow and--”

“No, no, it’s fine. We were just finishing up,” Max said smiling but I could see he was a little disappointed. “Well… I will see you later at the Tavern?”

The suggestion erased any annoyance I have for the Templar. “I will see you then.”

He smiled at me before he walked away now, leaving with the Commander to discuss on Inquisition matters. Letting out a heavy sigh, I felt glad that this strange avoidance was over between us, and perhaps…

Perhaps, something else was blooming.

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	6. Leaving Before the Storm

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“Okay. What you’re doing is very annoying, Stitches.”

Stitches looked up at me very confused, wondering what he has been doing wrong. He was helping in the clinic, doing every task just right and treating patients with a balance of gentleness and firmness.

However, even Avexis found him annoying. “I would prefer if you do not do that anymore.”

“Do _what?_ ” Stitches asked, aghast that a tranquil had complained about him, and he didn’t even know what he was doing.

Shaking my head, I pointed out, “You keep rolling your head and rubbing your neck. Is your neck bothering you?”

The Charger sighed. “Yeah. This morning’s training caught me off guard. Sort of messed up in my defense.”

These Chargers… “Lie down.” I ordered and he waved me off, saying that he was fine. Avexis helped convince him to lie down by repeating my simple order before I went on to explain that it isn’t like that.

When he lied down on his back, he was looking quite uncomfortable like I was about to experiment with him, or something else truly out of proportions, but no. I placed my hands around his neck and told him to relax. When I was certain he was lose and relax, I twisted his neck, cracking it. He let out a gasp and immediately sat up, completely surprised. He was about to yell, but paused feeling his neck as he must have realized the ache was gone.

“…How did you do that?” He asked as he let his hands fall, enjoying the less tension.

“Don’t do it to anyone else, or else you might break their necks,” I told him without answering how I did it, but from who I learned it from. “Now, get on your stomach.”

I decided to straighten out his back as well for good measure. The remaining patients in the tent has been watching me with great interest, and some were a bit embarrassed. However, a few brave ones asked me if I could so the same to them.

“Have you ever broke a patient’s neck doing that?” Avexis tactfully asked me while I was preparing to crack someone’s neck, and the patient tensed up in my fingers.

I gave a deadpan look at her. “Not yet.” I cracked the poor patient, but he came out fine and grateful.

Mages were coming to camp at Haven as Maxwell had promised them sanction, thus the clinic recruited about three mage healers and a couple of herbalists to assist Avexis in her work. Of course, they felt uncomfortable, seeing a Tranquil there and even asked me why. They didn’t believe me it was her choice until she would tell them that she preferred to work here.

In the end, nothing else eventful happened because at this time, it was now the waiting game. We all have to wait until the mages would arrive, and then the Herald can permanently close the breach.

When my shift was over, I went to the tavern to eat as usual and sat at the table with the usual patrons, only that it was getting bigger, now including the Iron Bull, Sera, and Blackwall.

“Say, I heard you’ve been breaking people’s necks!” Sera brought it up, and they were all looking at me for an explanation.

I shrugged at her. “Only the annoying ones.”

The mischievous elf made a face at me before drinking away, not wanting to do with me, but Krem kept pressing, “Oh don’t stop there. Stitches said his neck and back felt better after what you did.”

The others were still looking curiously at me before I started to explain chiropractic with big words such as pseudoscience and musculoskeletal, and all of them gave up, I think. Or they think I was just full of crap, but they can’t deny the proofs.

“Tell me, are you only good at making up words?” Dorian asked me, huffing when he couldn’t keep up to such non-plebian terms that were not yet invented in this world.

“I’m also a good at cooking.” I decided to brag, but perhaps I shouldn’t have because now Varric pointed out to everyone, “That’s right! I heard you baked tarts a few days ago. I’m hurt you didn’t save us any, Cleric.”

Impressive looks were turn at my way and Blackwall was the first to express his shock, “Maker’s balls, you baked those? I never had anything that good before. That was absolutely divine.”

He sounded like he just fell in love or something, but the others (except for Max and the party that went to Redcliffe) were expressing the same positive and approving feelings about my baking goods.

“When will you make more?” Max was the one who asked and I couldn’t give him a false answer. “Hmm… when you close the breach, I’ll bake some to celebrate.”

“Does that include us?” Krem asked and I recalled how much Bull and the Chargers scarfed down mostly all the tarts before I had to tell them off that they had to share. With a stern look, I told them, “No. You all can starve.”

Some of the Chargers booed at me, but they know I was joking. They are always welcome to eat.

I waited out as usual until Max and I were just in the table---with sleeping drunks might I add, but that was privacy enough.

“Where will you go after this?” Max asked me. “Are you staying?”

I paused, thinking for a moment at that.

Before all this started, I had been wandering for a couple of months now since Dahlia passed away. You could say I was doing a bit of soul searching, never staying in one place for too long. Haven has been the longest I’ve stayed at, and I remembered making a note to myself that when the Breach closes, I would leave. I also made a note that if it didn’t close, I would leave anyway and travel somewhere far, far away. That day when the breach tore across the sky, I had thought things had gone to shit, and maybe EA had no plans for a happy ending or something. I thought Haven was going to become like Ostagar and…!!

There it is again, something was scratching the back of my mind and the dread in the pit of my stomach grew worse. I was forgetting something really crucial right now, and it was something that was going to happen soon, something worse than the temple exploding…

“Nathan!” I snapped out from my thoughts when Max called for me and shook my shoulder, looking at me worriedly. I must have been taking too long to respond, or the fact that I was clenching the mug too tightly, or was breathing too deep.

“Nathan. What’s wrong?” He asked sternly, but the worries were still in his eyes.

I calmed down for a moment, trying to think of response. “…There’s something I forgot…and I can’t remember what it is, but it has been bugging me for the past few weeks… And I feel like I should panic, because whatever it is I’ve forgotten, it’s coming closer.”

He looked at me, stumped, and instantly I’ve regretted telling him. I mean, he can’t help me with this problem, only myself. But, before I could tell him to forget it, he decided to say, “That’s how I feel… I don’t exactly remember what happened at the Conclave, but I knew it was something important… like how and who was behind all this. There’s a dread that comes with it, and sometimes, it’s just easier not to dwell on it.”

I awed at him, blinking at what he shared. He was feeling the same thing then, even though it were for different reasons. He looked at me, finishing up, “but… that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it… even if we don’t remember.”

“Right… Thank you…” I only smiled at him. “Make sure you close that Breach properly this time.”

He grinned. “I’ll do my best.”

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After so long, I finally remembered. It came to me unexpectedly like an old distant memory that made the dread grew worse. Like… like the day when Trump became president. This was the climax of this whole story.

It started in the morning when a bunch of mages, Max, Solas, and Cassandra made the trip to the ruins to finally close the breach. Everyone had been celebrating prematurely, and Flissa and I were already prepping the tarts before they’re placed in the stone oven. Around the afternoon was when the Breach exploded, sealing shut. The shockwave it emitted was just like the last one, pushing people off their feet, especially those unprepared as I watched some stumbling over.

A torch fell and started burning some of the supplies, which people hurried to put out, but the fire was enough to jumpstart my memory.

Fire. Haven was burning before my eyes.

“Nathan!” Flissa called, shaking me as the memory dissipated and I gasped, breathing deeply when I came out from it. She looked at me worriedly. “Are… you okay?”

“…No… No,” I stuttered as quickly I left the kitchen. My pacing was rash that I got some looks for it as people immediately moved out my way until I made it to the Spymaster’s tent.

She watched me approach rather hastily and waited for me.

“We need to leave.” I demanded, catching more looks around.

She raised a skeptic brow at me. “You’re rattled from the Breach closing?”

She was assuming, and she didn’t understand the urgency until I had to explain it to her. “No, I mean we really need to leave. The Breach is closed, and hours from now, Haven will be buried. Today!!”

My shouting got everyone’s attention and I could see Leliana narrowing her eyes at me, silently scolding me for grabbing such audience.

“What makes you say that?” She asked.

“Because whoever opened that Breach is going to be really pissed that he would send an army marching towards us!” I told her and after a moment, I started thinking where could they have gotten the army? Then I remembered something that the Chargers talked about. “…What happened to the Templars at Theirinfal Redoubt?”

Her eyes widened at that and I think she was starting to believe me, but then she asked me suspiciously, “How would you know this? How would you know that we will be attacked today? How can I trust you?”

There was a pause between us as I started thinking what had I done that I haven’t earned their trust? I mean, sure, I never told them exactly where I came from, I evaded questions of my origins and my techniques, but shared what I could that wouldn’t label me crazy.

“…You placed your men in my care. You trust me that much,” I pointed out to her. “And you told me whatever information I had, I should share it with you. I’m sharing it now, and what you do with it, that’s your decision… And whatever you decide, I’m still going to go pack… and I’ll leave before shit happens.”

That ended the conversation as I started walking away, heading back to my tent. Some part of me was thinking of how cruel I was to be packing and leaving, but what choice did I have? If they’re not going to listen, then that’s that.

I walked to the medical tent first, and people noticed I started packing, excluding Avexis. I haven’t seen her around since this morning, but Simona started asking me where I was going. I told her I was leaving and explained why. Stitches and I had a bit of an argument, called me paranoid, but I didn’t care to listen. I just know it, and only repeated that Haven is gone today.

Leaving the tent, I could feel all of them staring at me with curiousness and disbelief. There was no way I was staying, and I could feel a twinge of guilt for leaving without telling Max, but something was making me leave… or else, I was going to regret it.

Perhaps it is because I had one big secret that I could never share. It’s the reason why I keep wearing these cuffs that my captor made for me. I can’t help but find it useful because without it, I would be considered abnormal---an abomination, as they would say.

People from Earth are more than just humans here in Thedas.

Arriving at my cabin, Adan questioned me and my outburst. Word was already spreading of what I said. Good. They better decide to leave now or never, but there was no way they could. I only told him to pack, and if shit goes down, evacuate everyone to the Chantry.

Just when I leave my cabin, Avexis was standing outside with a backpack. I stopped, looking at her with a raised brow. “…What are you doing?”

“Leaving with you.” She answered, looking at me as if I was dumb.

“…I noticed. Why? What about Minerva?”

“…I would prefer to leave with you.” She stated then paused as if thinking it was wrong, before emphasizing in different words, “I _want_ to leave with you.”

We had a staring contest for a while and after a moment, I inclined, nodding my head. “Let’s go then.”

Both she and I were leaving Haven together, and as soon as we were out the gates, the Iron Bull stopped us.

“How sure are you that you’re not crazy?” He asked as we passed by him.

“…Figure it out, Iron Bull,” I told him. “I’m sure you can tell between a liar and a crazy son of a bitch… Just…. Good luck.”

He raised a brow at me. “You’re leaving without telling the boss?”

I felt a pang of guilt for up and leaving right before their doom. We probably had something going on, and after this, he will never forgive me.

Still I said, “Then tell him for me… I’m sorry.”

He and I stared at each other hard, and he was still contemplating whether I could be right or not. Meanwhile, Krem actually asked Avexis if she was really going with me and she used the same sentence earlier saying she wanted to go with me. That stunned him, but she didn’t talk to him anymore as I started walking ahead. She quickly followed.

In my head, it was smart to leave now…but this felt so wrong, abandoning them. Shokrakar had told me before…

Save myself, no matter what, because if I fall to the wrong hands again, there’s no way of saving me.

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It was nightfall and we set up camp deep into the forest. By now, something would have happened, or nothing at all. I could have been wrong, yet if I have thought to be wrong, I wouldn’t have leave so desperately.

I hoped to be wrong.

“You’re regretting your actions…” She noted.

I made a face at her. “…There’s no choice.”

“There is always a choice,” she said to me, staring right at me, “You could have stayed to help fight.”

“I can’t help… I’ll--”

“I know… there’s something in you that you won’t share,” she speculated in a dull tone. “You would never let me be closer than two meters, because I could feel the fade from you. You are different, and you are afraid.”

Now it was my turn to stare. I’ve ignored since the beginning, but Avexis was starting to think for herself, and she was defending herself more often. When people would tell her to leave, she would tell them they were rude and should refer to me. Naturally, I told them that that’s their problem, and they can leave if they can’t work with Avexis.

The tranquility was starting to break down little by little. Maybe perhaps…

We heard rustling in the bushes, and immediately, I grabbed for my daggers. Avexis tensed up as well, and without any warning, they came out to attack.

Three Templars covered in red glowing stones that gave me a headache when I look at it, and their eyes were glowing viciously with the same color. Avexis moved out of the way stiffly getting behind trees to stay from the fight, and I think one of them went after her and I threw one of my daggers at him, getting him at the neck. The other two went for me, and a scuffle began as I try to avoid their blades.

During the fight, I managed to plunge my dagger into the Templar’s eye, and pushed it deep to get to his brain. Precise-stabbing on vital areas was my one of my favorite skills, since it would always end an enemy quickly. One less bastard, but now my blade was stuck in his skull. I was weaponless against the last Templar, and my other secret weapon was too far to grab. It wasn’t even ready for me to fire.

The last enemy and I danced as I dodged his attacks, eventually getting his blade stuck to a tree. I elbowed his throat, getting him to let go of his blade and stumble back with just his shield. Eventually, we were now on the ground, wrestling and he was trying to cut my head off the edge of the shield.

There was a shadow behind him, and that figure brought a rock down upon his head. The enemy fell to the side unconscious with the shield. I looked to see it was Avexis, who seemed surprise at herself. Getting up to my feet, I dusted myself off before examining the now dead Templar on the ground.

Red. Glowing red lyrium.

“What is that?” She asked and I held a hand out at her to stop, still not touching her though. “Don’t. Just keep away from it.”

She listened, taking a step back. Then we heard one more rustle in the bushes and we turned to see just in time another Templar charging right for us, Avexis first. With no weapons and completely defenseless, I grabbed the tranquil and pulled her right behind me as I watched the Templar bring the blade right down. I held my left arm, hoping the blade would just hit the shackles…

The blade did collide with my shackles, and I was expecting them to break except that it was covered in a blue aura.

Both stunned, we pulled back and I think we both slowly turned to Avexis.

And she did not look happy.

Her eyes seemed to glow ferociously, directly at the Templar who seemed to back up from such a scary little elf. The wind around us blew awry and I watched her, thinking… crap…

“AAAHHH!!”

My head whipped to look at the remaining Templar and saw that a great gray bear (where the fuck did it come from?) attacked the man from behind. He struggled but the bear then bit his neck, killing him instantly. The bear and Avexis made eye contact before it started leaving its newfound prey.

I looked at Avexis again warily. “…Avexis?”

“You…. You knew that touching me… you would break the tranquility,” she said and she was now turning her anger on me. Shit. “You knew… and you wouldn’t try to help!!!”

“If I were to break it before, you would have gone insane,” I told her, trying to explain to her calmly. “You have just gotten your emotions back, it would be too raw and you’d feel it ten times stronger than before. You’ve also just gotten your powers back, and there might be too much of it.”

“Too much?!” She asked. “Is that what you’re afraid of?! My Magic?!”

“Avexis, you are burning the grass!!” I pointed and she looked down, immediately seeing the smoke and embers from where she’s standing. She quickly stepped back and she seemed to realize now why I might be too afraid to break it completely.

She took a step back, shuddering as she tried to calm herself down, rubbing her arms.

“…Who are you, Nathan?” She asked me, her head still turned away from me. “…What are you…?”

Sighing, I answered, “…I can’t tell you… but I am human.”

There was this tense silence between us and after a moment, she finally turned to me and tears were falling down her cheeks. “Oh Maker… I was thinking of killing you, Nathan… I was so mad… I’m sorry…”

I went towards her carefully, because I didn’t want to make her feel worse. I reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. “…No, I’m sorry…I just… the first Tranquil I met? …She went on a rampage, and even tried killing my friends and I… I don’t want to make the same mistake again, so I thought that… maybe you keeping close, you would get used to having feelings again, slowly, but surely… Now, your tranquility is broken… I think.”

“I’m… trying to control these strange emotions… I’m feeling everything too much…” she said, breathing deeply then her eyes seemed to widen as she looked up at me with urgency. “Nathan! Haven! What about the Inquisition??”

Grimacing, I took a step back. “What about them?”

“You saw these Templars! We have to go back and help them!” She insisted and she started grabbing her backpack, and putting it around her. She was leaving now.

“Wait! Avexis!!” I tried to call her.

“Hurry up! Come on, Nathan!” She urged me, and at first, I wanted to ignore. I can’t go back, there was no way I was going back.

Looking down at the dead Templars and contemplating on just dreaming black dreams, I started picking up my things, leaving the campfire and catching up to Avexis.

Fuck me.

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	7. I Come Back Anyway

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Haven was under attack when we arrived. We had to cut through the forest and the highway patrol paths in order to avoid some of the soldiers, though we did encounter several Templars on the way. Avexis, with her magic back, is more powerful than ever, bending things to her will and getting druffalos to trample the mage-prisoning knights.

She was giving everything she had tonight.

As for me, I had my weapon lock and loaded, but kept it behind me, preferring my blades. Can’t waste too much of it.

We made it to one of the front of lines of Haven and joined in the fight, striking down the Templars from behind. The soldiers were hesitant at first but they seem to recognize me as one of them called out: it’s the head healer!

We cleared out the small wave in the corner that could have infiltrated Haven.

“It _is_ you!” Someone shouted.

I whirled around to see an astonished Krem and other chargers, including Sera who went straight for me and delivered a numbing punch to my arm. Grimacing, I turned to her irritated, “What the hell, Sera?!”

“What the _hell_ , Sera?! What the _frig_ , YOU!” She yelled at me. “You friggin’ asshole, you _ditched_ us!!”

Rolling my eyes and trying not to let it get to me, I fired, “Ohh, don’t be a baby, I came back, didn’t I?”

Before she would cuss at me, I was pretty certain there were huge flames behind me since I could feel the warmth of it, but it never touched me. The others were shocked, gaping at whatever it was behind me. Turning around, I saw that it was Avexis, who was wiping her hands still coated with embers, and more red Templars, lying dead on the snow, roasted.

She approached us and only walked by us. “Come on. We’re under attack, remember?”

Krem watched her go, jaw dropping before looking back at me as if I was at fault----well, I was, but they shouldn’t know that!

“…How?” He managed out now. “Isn’t she tranquil…?”

“Explanations later. Keep this side fortified, will you?” With that, I hastily catch up to Avexis and we both were heading to the main fight.

First off, I thought Max would be at the area where the trebuchet was in front of Haven. I mean, I saw they had just fired the thing off, so he must be there. Instead, I stumble to meet Vivienne, Dorian, and Blackwall as they had just finished freezing and smashing some red Templars. Dorian was still flashily throwing bolts and bringing the corpses to life in order to fight.

Blackwall was stunned when he saw me, pointing out, “You came back?”

“Where’s Max?” I asked, looking at them, but Vivienne—just like Sera’s reaction—was icy livid with me.

“ _You_ left us. Does he even want to see you?” Then her eyes narrowed. “And what have you done to _her?_ ”

My eyes turned to where Avexis was summoning fiery comets from the sky out of nowhere and crashing the comets upon enemies, making Dorian’s job easier. See, now she was just overpowered, and that was probably my fault. The Tevinter Altus was gaping at her shocked, before going over to ask her questions. Typical.

Vivienne only repeated with emphasis when I didn’t answer. “What. Did. _You._ Do?”

“…It was an accident.” That answer did not placate her but she was cut off when the Commander of the Inquisition came marching over to me.

“ _You!!_ ” Cullen sneered like I was the plague.

“Fuck really??” I complained. “Who else wants to bitch at me?!”

My outburst didn’t deter him. “You _knew_ this would happen!”

I fired back, “I warned you all!! And whether you listened, or not, is not my fault!!”

My reasoning only seemed to infuriate him, and he was really tightening that grip on his sword. “You could have stayed!! You could have tried your best to force everyone to leave, but--….!! Maker’s breath...”

Before we could even argue more, something was coming out from the icy waters. Some ungodly, demonic creature crawled out, blocking the other trebuchet from firing. Everyone was yelling, and panicking a bit as they have never seen such a creature before.

And me? I was gawking at the Star of David necklace, hanging around its neck.

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Max’s Point of View

The day I closed the Breach was when an army of the Elder One attacked. We were outnumbered, and we only had trebuchets to fire. Hopefully, the fired boulders could bring down an avalanche upon them. So far, the battle was ruthless.

Before all this, I had gotten word that Nathan and Avexis left after the breach was closed. Bull told me the whole story of how he was demanding Haven to evacuate before we would all be attacked. He said, we were going to lose Haven today. When no one listened or believed, he up and left. Avexis followed him, choosing to stay with him.

Oh, how right he was.

An army at the bulk of the mountain was coming straight for us, and the Elder One was there. We could not believe how right Nathan was, and I felt a bit betrayed that he would just… abandon us, if he knew this threat was coming.

The only good thing was that most of the people were ready to leave. Apparently, Nathan’s words had them all scared and prepared to leave just in case. But now, they have nowhere to go. All trails are blocked. So now, here we are, defending Haven with all our might.

We were preparing to fire the second trebuchet when something else arrived that was more grotesque than these red Templars.

It came out from the waters, breaking the ice as it pulled down---both friend and foe---into the cold waters with its tentacles. It rose above the waters, at least 15 feet high with thin long arms and huge claws. _Her_ face covered with long black unruly wet hair. The bottom half were all tentacles, crawling its way to us.

“Maker, what is that?!” Cassandra exclaimed.

“You fight a lot of weird monsters, Boss,” Bull exclaimed, gripping his axe tightly. “Oh fuck, why can’t it be dragons instead?”

Ignoring that, we tried to fight off the beast. She was huge, and we were having trouble with finding a weakness. What’s worse was that we were taking too many hits. Several of our soldiers, and even the enemies, were hit by her claws. The monster moved to the trebuchet, blocking us from it.

The battle has turned for the worst as we were losing a lot of numbers on our side.

“That creature…! It shouldn’t exist!” Solas shouted, for once, boggled.

Varric called out, “You’re telling me! How are we supposed to take that thing down?”

It let out an eerie siren voice that almost deafened our ears. It raised its giant claw about to crush us when suddenly a torrent of fire blasted right at her, and she ceased her attack, pulling back as she was singed from the hot flames.

We glanced to see two mages: Dorian and… Avexis? Wasn’t she supposed to be a tranquil?

And… did that mean Nathan’s here…?

When the monster threw a fit, its large tentacles moved around, trying to get away from the fire, and its rampaging limbs were threateningly close to the two mages.

“Watch out!!” I called out, and Dorian noticed it as it was coming for them. He grabbed Avexis by the waist and pulled her back as the giant limb with suckers just barely missed them.

She was beyond pissed when the fire stopped, and half of her side looked black burnt. Then ashes fell away from her skin, and we could see that she was healing rather rapidly. The burns that were showing bone was forming skin again. This was not good, and everyone noticed as well as we all rushed to hack it down as fast as we could before it would recover.

It let out another deafening roar, and one large tentacle whipped across, knocking a lot of us back.

The wind was knocked out of me as I laid there on the snow, stunned from the impact. Then I see Solas hovering above me, preparing to heal me before I reached out to stop him, getting up slowly.

“I’m fine,” I insisted and before Solas could say anything, the creature was screaming out again, perhaps trying to destroy our hearing, but while it did, it was raising its claws above Solas and me.

It was going to swipe at us, and—

**_BANG!_ **

The unnatural, loud sound shocked everyone and even the creature. No… The creature was staggering back, and there was red blood streaming down from its shoulder where there was… a hole?

**_BANG!_ **

Another one came, and this time a bigger hole opened in its sternum, and more blood poured out. The creature gurgled and chittered before it fell back on the snow. Its tentacles falling limp, and we all turned to see a figure walking over to the creature…

It was Nathan, and he was carrying… a strange long wooden weapon. I remember he carried it before on his back when he saved my uncle and I, but he never used it and just wrapped it back in cloth.

Was this why…?

Many of us were slowly getting up to our feet as we watched him walking over to the creature as he added---from where I could see---two rocks? Or pellets. I wasn’t sure, but he cocked his weapon and he aimed again, this time at the creature’s head.

I saw him whisper…

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I wasn’t a killer before all this.

Naturally, I was just a normal, average man living in the big city. Everything I’ve learned, I gained because I was born with privileges, and that also meant having cousins that enjoy hunting. It wasn’t my favorite sport, since I mostly adore animals, but I liked the sound of a gun when it fires and when it hits a tin can. Either way, I get it that guns were dangerous.

Still, never had I used it before against people…at least not until I landed on Thedas.

Killing means taking a life… and I think it referred to both me and the dead.

“…I don’t know any prayers for your religion,” I told her, knowing she can hear me as her eyes seemed to be widen. “…But… may you find rest and peace in the Lord… Amen.”

_BANG!_

The bullet went through her head, killing her instantly. Watching her for a moment, I knelt down and carefully took the Jewish necklace off of her. Behind it, there was a name etched to it: Hannah.

I placed the necklace away in my pocket before standing up, already feeling the stares upon my back. Turning around, there was Max not too far away from me, staring right at me. He didn’t look angry nor did he look too happy to see me. Instead, he just looked at me for a few more seconds before he went to the trebuchet, loading it.

It was Varric that approached me first, though warily, and I asked him, “He’s mad at me, isn’t he?”

The dwarf immediately answered, “Oh yeah.”

Apparently, shooting down a giant woman creature isn’t enough for forgiveness.

Max let the trebuchet fire and the boulder hit the mountain, causing an avalanche that drowned many Red Templars upon its path. There was a momentary cheer amongst us when the enemy was hit hard, but that victory did not last for long.

Max was moving away from trebuchet, looking up as we started hearing a screech.

“GET DOWN!” He yelled, and at that moment, blasting fire destroyed the trebuchet, sending debris flying as everyone quickly duck, covering their heads.

A bellowing roar echoed throughout the skies, and when I staggered back to my feet, Haven was burning before my eyes just as I predicted. There was fire everywhere and the town was burning as the huge demonic like dragon flying all over.

“Now that’s more like it!” Bull exclaimed. “A dragon!”

Cassandra questioned, “That couldn’t be an Archdemon, could it?”

“It’s similar, but I do not think it’s fully an Archdemon. Either way, Haven is burning. We should get to the Chantry.” Solas suggested.

“Move, and evacuate everyone in town to the Chantry then. Let’s go,” Max told everyone as we all started running to the Chantry. I managed to run at his side and he told me curtly not now.

He was very angry with me.

Even though the avalanche came down, there were still more red Templars, invading and attacking the people in Haven. We intercepted, fighting them off. Of course, I started using my rifle more often, scaring people around me, but it did the job. Then sometimes I would switch with my daggers in close combat. No point firing a rifle in close range.

“That weapon…” Cassandra began to say. “It does not seem humane.”

“The smell it gives off when it fires… it smells like gaatlok,” The Iron Bull pointed with a tense tone, and I understood since the Qunari held their gaatlok making a secret.

“It’s called gunpowder, less volatile than your cannons.” I explained to him and he raised his brow, surprised that I would know, and then I said to Cass, “And this is called gun. It has the same purpose as a sword… it kills people.”

She only narrowed her eyes at me then she panicked when I aimed the rifle at her and fired, killing the red Templar knight that was right behind her. She was stunned but understood in seconds what had happened. She looked back at me again and I emphasized, “I am _not_ your enemy.”

She gave me a hard look before we had to move again when Max called, pointing out the Templars coming in from a hole in the wall.

Everyone was surprised of my gun, but also mostly at Avexis who could do magic now. She stuck close to me since it felt like the two of us were on our own because we were the anomalies. We were different than them, even though we all had the same goal: survive.

Soon, we had gotten everyone into the chantry and there was a strange boy with a really wide rim hat, carrying a wounded cleric that looked to be Chancellor Roderick.

“He got in the way between a lady and Templar’s blade. He will die soon.”

The cleric sputtered, “What a charming young man.”

He brought him over to a seat and I immediately took over, “Lay him down.”

Checking him over, his wounds were grave and the boy spoke out what I was thinking, “Internal organs are damaged. Cannot be helped unless we have a spirit healer.”

I raised a brow at the boy who turned his head away from me.

“What do I do?” Avexis asked, perhaps wanting to use her magic to heal him, but I doubt she even know how.

“…We bandage him, and we hope he can survive this,” I told her as I took out the bandages and began wrapping up the Chancellor. In the background, I could hear Cullen and Max planning and talking. Cullen’s plan was to fire the trebuchet one more time.

“To hit the enemy, we would bury Haven.” Max argued.

Cullen gravely responded. “We’ve no choice. Not everyone gets to choose their end.”

A grim response and I was about to argue, if the boy hadn’t spoken first. “Yes that might work.”

We all heard him, and we turned to give him our attention. He then looked down to Roderick and helped him sit up since I had finished bandaging up the wound.

“Chancellor Roderick has something to say,”

Roderick, who could barely keep awake, coughed and said, “…There’s... a way out in the back of Haven… only I am left to know of the pilgrimage path, the rest have died in the Conclave.”

He had gotten more religious and faithful, and was believing now in Max that maybe he was sent here by the Maker to help us. He was also apologizing, and I wonder if it’s because he was dying, and he wanted to die without any regrets. And that was… honorable in a way.

So now, they have a plan. The boy had said that the Elder one was here only for Max, so he will distract the monster.

“Let him hear you!” Cullen called out as Max left the chantry with three more people whom were more than willing to join him in this suicide mission.

I hesitated for a moment, before sighing as I handed the med pack to Avexis, who looked at me confused.

“I need to go. You evacuate with the others Avexis. You learned more of my medical methods than any other healers. Use it and help the people of Haven. I’ll be back,” I told her.

She seemed to understand why I need to go, because she didn’t bother to argue. Instead, she nodded, and said, “You come back alive, and bring _him_ back too.”

Nodding to her, she stood up, and she and Cole helped Chancellor Roderick up to his feet and carried him out of there, leading the way. Watching them go, I then hurried out of the chantry to catch up to the trebuchet-launching-suicide team.

Hopefully not really suicide…

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“What made you come back and join us, Cleric?” Varric asked as we had just finished clearing out one group of red Templars, and we were halfway there to the last trebuchet standing. Max was still not talking to me, by the way.

“…I figured I was a little too hasty to leave,” I answered, a bit shamefully in my part as I could see why abruptly leaving after announcing that Haven would fall was closely resembling to abandonment. Sighing, I added, “I don’t…always make the right choices.”

Varric shook his head. “No one ever knows the right ones either. Just glad you actually came back.”

“And taking down that… that… whatever it was!” Dorian exclaimed, referring to the woman from the lake. “She was awfully ghastly, and that weapon of yours took her down so quickly than magic did.”

“What I’d like to know is what you’ve done to Avexis,” Cassandra suddenly cut in. “She’s… _How?_ She’s a tranquil. What did you do?”

Rolling my eyes, I demanded, “Why does everyone assume that _I_ had anything to do with it?”

“You’re not denying it.” Max pointed out, loud enough for me to hear, but he still wasn’t looking at me. Before I could argue, he ordered, “Keep the area clear!”

We were already at the trebuchet and he ran up to turn it. At that moment, enemies were coming in and I fired the rifle at the monster-like Templar that was rushing towards over to Max, stopping it in time, and Max continued to turn the wheel undisturbed.

The fight was drawing out longer, and I was running out of bullets. When I thought things were almost at an end, a giant red Templar golem stomped right in the field.

“Oh fuck this,” I complained as it lifted its giant club-like arm before bringing it down directly at me. Course, I rolled out of the way before it could crush me, but the ground shook, causing all of us to stumble.

I aimed my rifle and fired twice. It punctured holes into the red stone, and blood was pouring out, but still it kept moving.

And I had run out of bullets. Damn it.

Moving the rifle unto my back, I took out my daggers and ran at it, sliding passed between it legs, getting up and slicing at the back of its knees. It screeched and whirled about, trying to hit me with its massive arm formed like a club. I dodged out of the way, and I felt it sweep behind me; if it had hit me, I would have died. Before it could strike again, Dorian fired some more inferno orbs, distracting while I took that chance to get away. This was going to be a longer battle than the fight against Disney’s Little Mermaid’s Villainess, Ursula. Varric was firing bolts, aiming high at its face, perhaps the only part not covered in armor.

Max had to move from his spot when the monster was coming straight for him. He ran right at the beast and the monster brought its arm-club down. Luckily, it missed him as he pulled the same stunt I did but he went for the ankles, slicing deep on the same leg. It screeched and this time it stumbled. Somehow, we all knew what to do. Varric and Dorian began distracting it as it chased after Max who was trying to get away. Cassandra chased after it, and sliced right at its calf, same leg. This time it fell to its knee and she took that moment to stab her blade unto its back leg. It turned, trying to whack her but I ran in and tackled Cassandra down on the ground, the club barely missing us.

Then in the corner of my eye, I saw Max leap for it. I can only imagine he must have shoved his blade right into its face because I didn’t see him come back down. Instead, the beast fell backwards, landing next to us, lifeless, with Max on top of it.

He pulled out the blade after two tugs, and I quickly got off of Cassandra and helped her up; she didn’t reject my hand, so at least she wasn’t mad at me, I noted.

“That… what a behemoth!” Dorian expressed his frustrations. “Please don’t tell me all Red Templars will become like this.”

Max shook his head, probably having enough of this as he went back to the trebuchet, finishing to turn it. At the moment the trebuchet was rightly aimed, we heard the dragon’s cry. Looking up, we could see that it was coming right at us.

“Go…” Max ordered as he was backing away but I think we were still frozen, because he had to yell out this time, “MOVE!”

That got us moving as we started running for it. Not looking back, we could feel the heat of a blazing fire and the sound of an explosion. When we were getting to doorway of the wooden fence, I had stopped and looked back, realizing.

Max wasn’t with us.

“Max!” I ran back then the dragon came back, swooping down and burning flames, separating us from him.

We can only watch helpless as the Herald of Andraste struggled to his feet and the monster emerged. And this Elder One was every word that was synonymous to _ugly_.

Cassandra reached out, grabbing my shoulder as she urged me, “We need to go!”

Varric and Dorian weren’t there anymore either.

I was a little stumped, hearing that, and in that moment, I felt ire rise within me. Logically, I should go and leave. This was all up to Max after all, and the Elder One was only here for him. It must be heavy, I thought, that this whole town---Haven was burning because of Max. The Elder One wanted him, and now they were going to let him sacrifice himself?

“…You know what? You’re all a bunch of hypocrites.” I snapped, pulling away from her while she looked at me, shocked at the allegations. Then, I leaped through the wall of fire, possibly receiving burns. The dragon’s behind was facing me so I went behind some crates, hiding as I hurriedly looked through my pack for a bullet, even just one.

“ARRRGGHH!!”

Peeking out, I watched as Max fell to his knees, gripping his hand tightly as the creature—this Corypheus—started making a speech while he was attempting to remove the anchor. Hurriedly looking through my pack, the creature was now picking up Max by the marked hand, still spouting shit.

“Beg that I succeed, for I have seen the throne of the Gods…and it was _empty!_ ”

To my relief, I found one more bullet and hurriedly cocked it into the rifle, just when the darkspawn villain threw Max over to the trebuchet---convenient really.

I stayed behind the crates, aiming right at Corypheus. Max picked up a sword as he stumbled back up to his feet, leaning against the apparatus for support.

“And you. I will not suffer even an unknowing rival. You must _die._ ”

At this moment, I was reminiscing now a forgotten memory because this scene was extremely familiar to me that I was caught in the moment, watching the Herald of Andraste---Max. It was a spoiler that made it all intense and thrilling, but this scene before me was heavier, like comparing an egg to a stone. This scene was more concrete and more realistic… more dangerous.

Max held the sword he had picked up, taking a defensive stance. He looked weary, tired, and exhausted, but there was an aura of resolution, promising an inevitable victory elsewhere.

“You…expect us to surrender and kneel…” He began, and those words hung heavy with each panting breath he took. “…We will _not._ ”

Corypheus’ look glowered threateningly at such defiance, which prompted me to place my finger on the trigger.

Max tightened his grip on the sword, ready to take action. “You will face us all… When _we_ choose!!”

He dropped his stance and kicked the lever on the trebuchet, letting it soar across the sky, landing imminently upon the mountain, creating a devastating avalanche. Max started to run, but what I saw that was different was the dragon, opening its mouth and ready to let out a torrent of fire.

That was when I pulled the trigger, the rifle exploding the bullet as it graze the dragon at its muzzle. The impact hurt it enough to pull away, retracting its attack. Eyes were on me, and Max was running straight my way.

Corypheus glared at our direction, one last time before his disgruntled dragon shadowed him with his wing, carrying him, and then taking off, revealing a tsunami of snow heading straight our way. In my head, there was no way we could outrun that and yet Max pulled me roughly and made me run.

It was too late. The avalanche hit us and we stumbled, only to fall right into a pit.

We both loss conscious.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12/3--tomorrow is my final. Gotta finish finals then I'll get right back to this. Enjoy this cliffhanger. ;)


	8. Knowing there's something I'm always doing wrong

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_It was cold that morning and windy. Typically, it meant a blizzard strolled in at 6:00 a.m. just as I was leaving my apartment and walking down to the nearest subway, all bundled in a thick jacket to keep my business suit from getting wet. The early morning coffee stand was already open, and a small line had formed. With 15 minutes to get on the train, I spared the time to get at least one expresso._

_Boarding the train, I sat down in the 2/3’s filled cab, and already I was feeling the grueling morning that was Monday. I envy those employees that wouldn’t have to go to work until 10 or so, where traffic would be less of a hassle and less prone to accidents. Not that I have a car to complain with; it’s just much easier to use the subway._

_Overall, that day would have been just like any other Monday, except for the big important meeting of acquisitioning another insurance company and nearing due dates of final end reports—all that boring but necessary paperwork, which reminded me I still had to create that trip report to California._

_It should have been normal that day._

_To think, one day just getting off the train and walking through freezing streets of New York, was the day my life in this world was officially over. Passing by an alley, I stopped and took steps back when I noticed a strange, green glowing light in midair. I would have never been curious if I hadn’t seen a pigeon flew right into the light—flashing—and then disappearing. That stunned me, and out of the crowd, I was the only one that noticed._

_I wished I hadn’t gotten curious. Cautiously, I approached the light, and one touch I was pulled right in._

_Captured by Tevinter._

_There, I met the man who I would never hesitate to put a bullet in his head if I ever see him again. A man of who I still wish death upon him as he called for his minions to pin me down and shackle my arms to stop the strange power that was growing within me when introduced to this world, Thedas._

_He smiled viciously down upon me as if I was a new toy to chew on._

_Then he reached out to touch me…_

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I gasped aloud, pulled back from my blank dream only to face a creature so gruesome and ugly…and colder than the winter around.

There were three of them actually, and monsters that I recall to be spirits that feed on misery. It didn’t matter if I had misery or not, my aura would always be alluring to these demons.

Taken advantage from my loss of conscious, they had me restrained and already, it was getting harder to breathe and focus. One had its claw-like hand clutched around my throat in an icy grip that would surely leave bruising, the other had its hand on my hand, and the third had touched my arm simply. They were all siphoning the energy out of me like dire wolves feasting upon one deer.

My body was heavy but I tried to struggle, reaching out to try and pry off the creature’s hand off my throat to let me breathe, though it only tightened even more. I was gasping now, and my mind was falling into darkness again.

I was going to die.

Then, a faded voice was calling my name and out of nowhere a bright green light appeared above us. It started to shoot out more rays of lights, and the lights were affecting only the demons as they were getting pulled right in. The light tore them into pieces before absorbing of it all, right into the light.

They faded and I fell to the ground, gasping for air---for sense.

The light died down but I was still on the ground, my body trying to recuperate from the siphoning. The feeling was sort of memorable towards waking up from anesthesia when having your wisdom teeth removed. I recalled that time when I was thirteen, because I suffered a panic attack when I woke up. Possibly I panicked because it reminded me of the time my older brother made me take the drug. I didn’t like the feeling of weakness and of losing control of my body.

“Nathan…!” I heard the Max’s panicked voice as he scrambled right over to me, quickly checking me over if I was alright. “Nathan, are you alright?”

My vision was still unfocused and I couldn’t reply as I forced myself to move, sitting up and turning over to kneel. Immediately, I experienced the nauseating vertigo and tried to keep the contents in my stomach down. I felt like shit…like the first time I got a hangover from drinking too much and mixing dangerous concoctions.

“Nathan?” Max tried again, placing a hand on my shoulder that was…comforting.

“I’m…fine…” I somehow managed a reply as I took deep breaths, trying to smother out the urge to have a panic attack.

He graciously let me have a few more minutes to rest until my body could recover from the traumatic experience. Honestly, my whole body felt so violated from the demons sucking off of me…And I’d be laughing at the innuendo of that thought, if I wasn’t so disturbed and molested.

When it seemed like I finally calmed down, he gently nudged my shoulder and said, “We can’t stay here.”

Nodding, I silently agreed as I forced myself to stand, wobbling a bit, then he stood up as well, only to stumble and curse. I reached out to grab him and steady him before he would fall.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think… I think I sprained my ankle.”

“…Come on.” He complied as I led him over to a rock where he could sit, and I knelt down to check on the ankle. “Yeah… you twisted it, probably from the fall.”

Looking around, I noted there were some supplies that fell. Most of it were torn and damage, and I realized these could be from dead soldiers. Frowning, there was no choice but to use them. Taking a shirt and piece of broken wood, I used it to make a support flint around his sprained ankle.

“With the flint and the cold here, it should keep the swelling down,” I explained to him and he only made a sound, before he interjected.

“You were glowing.” He claimed. “…you were glowing white when those demons were… what were they doing to you? It looked like they were…absorbing you.”

Restraining to shudder, I stood up to my feet. Max saw. Usually, I would panic and be very evasive about it, but… this much I trust him, and I feel like I owe him that privilege to know just a little bit of my secret.

“…They were.” I answered as I held out my shackled arms, letting him see it more closely. “As you know by now, I’m not…normal, but I’m absolutely no demon so don’t jump to that conclusion… however, me being different is the reason why Avexis is no longer tranquil.”

“…How different?” He asked, then I reached out my hand for him to take, and he did. I helped him up and we started to walk out of the cave.

I began to explain to him, “I’m not a mage. Honestly, I’m not sure what I really am… All I know is that I have this… immense power that I must lock away, but even then it’s not enough… All Avexis had to do was touch me, and the tranquility would break…”

Trailing off, I waited for him to let that explanation go through him first. He was silent until he took the cue to respond. “I suppose that would explain our mage companions’ comments.”

Raising a curious brow, I asked, “What did they say?”

“They said… they said the fade felt strange about you. Your aura repels against it and other times, it would tug and pull at the fabric of the veil. Dorian even took notes of your shackles, and said that the linings on it were similar to warding or restraining a mage,” He explained. “…Honestly, we came to a conclusion that you were a mage in hiding, and was keeping your powers a secret.”

So they have been rightly suspicious of me, but just keeping it a secret amongst themselves. Honestly, I was a little proud that they never hounded me with accusations like that. “Hum… that’s interesting.”

“But you said you’re not a mage.”

“No I’m not. I can’t throw fireballs or make ice walls like a mage can, and trust me, I’ve tried.” I told him. “And plus, I don’t dream.”

He whipped his head to look at me in shock. “You don’t dream? What do you mean?”

“Like dwarves, I don’t get dreams,” I told him. I mean, I used to, but ever since I arrived in Thedas, there’s been nothing but blank. “I’m not connected to the fade, so me being a mage is debunked.”

“ _Debunked_?” He questioned.

“Proven false.” I defined the word.

He shook his head at me. “And then there are times when you say such strange words like that one, and _hell_. More commonly hell, or sometimes Hella… like you weren’t… from here.”

He trailed off, and I suppose he wanted me to explain that part, but part of me didn’t want to. Memories linked to earth, I had it all suppressed ever since _she_ passed away. There’s no way I wanted to celebrate it, or even try to remember it.

Sometimes I had this… This thing where I just disappear from everyone’s lives. Like a restart, even though there would never be just one, just… Ignoring everyone and moving on like it never happened? That was me, and truthfully it’s unhealthy, but for me, it was the only way to cope. I believe it has been months since I ever wrote a letter to the mercenary company.

Honestly, I had almost just disappear again if Avexis wasn’t so insistent in returning, and making me do the right thing.

After a while, I finally responded, “…I can’t. Go more in the details… maybe later, but… I promise I’m no danger to anyone. I just want to be somewhere where I can do good, and no one asking me about my past. It’s complicated as much as this…unknown power I have. I’m not a threat, especially if I keep wearing these shackles.”

Max took my pleading into consideration. “.. I wish you could tell me more and not bottle it down, but… if it helps… then alright.”

And that was the end of our conversation as we came upon the end of the tunnel to meet the cold winter night and its frightening blizzard.

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Shuffling now through the snow, we stopped at a fireplace in the middle of the blizzard where the embers just died when we arrived.

“Embers…recent…” Max spoke in a raspy voice as he was leaning on me for more support, losing his strength, and I forced myself to push back to keep steady.

“If so, w-we’re almost there. Just… h-hold on,” I told him through gritted teeth at the bitter cold as I make him push forward and he tried to give his best effort with the sprained ankle that had only gotten worse from the hike up this snowy dense hill.

A harsh gust blew right at us, nearly toppling us over to the snow, but we managed to stay grounded. I start to feel Max getting heavier as he looked to be going down.

Pulling him right back up, I shook him. “Stay awake, Max!”

“It’s…cold… I can’t feel…” He said, and panic arouse within me as I realized how tired he must have been. Not only did he had to suffer through what Corypheus administered to him, but he did something earlier to save me from the three ghouls that were like HP’s deathly hallows. He’s stopped shivering too, and I was afraid he must be getting hypothermia.

“Come on, Max! Just keep t-talking to me.” I urged him as I kept pushing through.

He started to mumble a question. “What is… hell? …What does it mean…?”

“It’s… a bad place,” I grunt a bit as I stumbled over the icy snow, remaining balance. “...And it’s very hot, like being in a volcano.”

“That must be nice,” he murmured quietly.

Feeling how cold it was, I couldn’t blame him as I scoffed, “If you don’t mind Satan torturing you…”

Then I spotted light, down upon the valley and I moved faster, begging Max to keep awake. He cannot fall asleep in this cold winter, at least until we could get somewhere warm, and light means warm. Light means fire, it means civilization.

It means rescue.

“There!”

Someone shouted, and I was filled with instant relief. Immediately, I felt Max just collapse from the exhaustion and I struggled to keep still, not letting him drop. Thankfully, they hurried fast enough. Cullen grabbed Max from me, and I would have fallen upon the snow if Cassandra hadn’t grab me to support me.

“Fire… Take him somewhere w-warm… H-He’s stopped shivering a while ago…” I told them, and despite what I said, they seemed to understand how dire Max’s situation was.

We arrived upon the camp, and already I could feel the warmth probably from the body heat of soldiers, survivors, and closer tents surrounding around huge bonfires. Max was set down on a cot next to the fire to get warmth, and somehow I still manage to make orders about putting blankets on him. No one was listening that was until Avexis stepped in and reiterated my orders. They seemed to fear her as they got right to it.

I was sat from the other side, given blankets as well as my body shivered more to keep producing heat.

Avexis came for me, and I instructed her. “Dry towels... Y-You need to wrap his h-h-head too, and…! And heat one dry towel---not too hot, just warm enough, and put it under h-his shirt. On his chest.”

She nodded as she moved away to do so. She acquired two towel-like blankets and started to do my orders. Solas didn’t stop her, and perhaps he heard my instructions too. Instead, he helped her.

“You came back.”

I turned around to meet the Spymaster’s gaze before looking back at the fire.

“…S-so? …What of it?”

I could feel her shrug as she aptly responded, “Nothing, just…admirable…and worth forgiving.”

Well…that made me feel a little better, not that I would ever need their forgiveness…but it’s still nice.

Avexis kept checking on me, asking questions and other things since I was the head healer and there were many wounded. She was getting suggestions from me to help other patients, but she was also keeping track on Max. I also had Solas to keep checking on his pulse once Avexis taught him what to look for.

No one else bothered talking to me, so imagine my surprise when Cullen approached me.

“You both survived…” He said in a tone most relieved, which was touching.

“Well. Luckily, I was with the Herald… he’s good at surviving impossible odds…” He smiled, amused at that, but I thought, no shit. If Max wasn’t there, I would have died from the hands of those demons.

“…Perhaps we were too critical of you…when you left,” Cullen began to say. “Cassandra and I talked about it, and she would be here to tell you the same if she wasn’t so busy at the moment, but… leaving the Herald to deal with Corypheus on his own is not different than you leaving Haven. It was inexcusable.”

I shook my head at that. “There was a cause… Hundreds of lives versus one? Max would choose to sacrifice himself, but I chose to save myself.”

“Maybe, but you came back…” He amended then he paused a moment before sighing. “We’ll let you rest, but know this that we will question you about Avexis… It’s troubling everyone how a tranquil got her magic back, and most of them know it’s because of you…though we’re not sure how.”

“The how part is unexplainable. Just accept that Avexis is no longer tranquil,” I told him.

He sighed again and he was going to debate more but stopped. “No… we won’t argue this right now. You need your rest. Everyone needs to… we _will_ discuss this later.”

“Joy.” I replied sarcastically, but at least there was no more room argument, and that maybe I was forgiven for abandoning them, though I still wonder if Max was still mad at me.

Eventually I was warm enough, and Avexis led me to where there was a tent.

I slept.

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I woke up feeling like crap, but more than usual. My body was hurting as if it ran a marathon, and I didn’t feel like doing my normal exercise routine. I had enough running around last night. First thing I did in that early dawn, I went to see if there was food. Thankfully, Bull and the Chargers went hunting early to provide food for the many. There was only some bread and beef jerky, so I took that before heading to the medical tent to see how Avexis and other healers did without me.

Substantially, there were losses, and it couldn’t be helped, though it would have been more. Apparently, some people did heed my warning, which was why I was getting all the wary looks thrown at me, and they were more scared of me than before.

“Your work ethics are remarkable,” Someone remarked, and I turned around to see that it was Solas as he joined my side. “Just last night, you walked through the harshest blizzards and now you are awake early in the morning to start helping. Are you really well enough to work?”

“My body aches all over, but movement helps me more to get over it than resting does,” He explained to him. “Besides, I’m taking it easy, and I’m just checking the patients. They’re mostly stabilize, and they have their lives thanks to the healers here.”

Solas nodded and then he added, “…Four times.”

“…Four times?” I questioned.

“Your methods. The CPR and compressions,” he started. “Four times did it help us to save lives. It didn’t work on a few, but on some it did when they slipped past death… You are one of the healers to thank for.”

Pausing a moment, I went to get a small bowl of water first when one of the patients asked for it, and they held it to drink. Once I was done checking on them with Solas helping to get it done fast, we left the medical tent.

“How is Max? Did he wake up by any chance?” I started and he replied, “He woke up a couple of hours ago, but went back to sleep.”

“If he wakes up again, don’t let him go to sleep. He needs food and water, even just a little bit,” I told him and he agreed, nodding.

“Let me inquire you of something of interest I noted,” Solas began and I turned around, thinking all he had to do was ask me if I could answer his question, and not that long-ass sentence, though I decided not to tell him as he proceeded to his inquiry.

“The day when Max closed the breach… when I heard you started demanding Haven to leave because the Elder one and his army were coming…” He commenced and I started to feel wary of the question. “Did you predict it? Or was it something you _remembered?_ ”

I think his question actually took me off guard because I didn’t answer fast enough. No. I was staring at him with slight shock as I started thinking… Holy crap, I should have stayed. Cullen was right last night that if I had just stayed and explained…but then I would have to reveal my secret. Turning away, I started looking and recalled what I had thought. There were losses… losses that could have been preventable if I had just explained. And now I came to question whether or not, my secret is even worth it to all deaths.

After a long while, I finally answered.

“…I guessed it.” _Liar_.

He raised a brow. “Truly?”

“I should go check on the Chargers if they brought food yet. My patients need to eat.” With that, I left the elf’s company, heading straight for the makeshift soup kitchen tent.

Liar. I was a very selfish liar.

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	9. You will never get answers that way

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“Please! Without the infrastructure of the Inquisition, we’re hobbled--”

“That can’t come from nowhere!”

“She didn’t say it could!”

“Enough! This is getting us nowhere!”

“Well, on that much, we agree.”

Fuck the lot of them for the pointless, nonsensical, wasteful argument that got them to no solution. Now see, I do remember in some spoiler that they arrived at some big castle, and I only recall a bald-headed elf, and that was probably Solas who knew where the place is.

So far, they have not yet interrogate me or Avexis, not that they have a chance to—except for the inner circle. Vivienne either highly demanded an explanation or that this should be kept a secret that I somehow reversed the rite of tranquility. Somehow, she knew that the revelation of such a secret started the mage rebellion war. Of course, I knew that because of Dahlia. She said it was in the first game or something.

“Shadows fall and hope has fled. Steel your heart, the dawn will come…”

Someone started singing, which caught almost everyone’s attention. We were all looking towards at Mother Giselle, who continued singing…

_The night is long and the path is dark_

_Look to the sky for one day soon_

_The dawn will come_

Avexis and I shared one glance at each other, wondering why the mother started singing, and then suddenly, to my surprise, Leliana was singing, taking a higher octave.

_The Shepherd’s lost and his home is far_

_Keep to the stars, the dawn will come_

_The night is long and the path is dark_

_Look to the sky for one day soon_

_The dawn will come_

At this point, everyone was gathering in the clearing to sing—even Cullen was singing. For a moment, I was reminded by the movie musical, Enchanted. I hoped this wouldn’t turn into some musical, and I get that this was some monumental moment…

And it was a heavy moment as some believers were going over to Max—to kneel and pray before him as they sung.

I had never seen him look so scared.

_Bare your blade and raise it high_

_Stand your ground, the dawn will come_

_The night is long and the path is dark_

Looking around, I noticed the inner circle’s watching with admiration, skepticism, and disbelief. They were probably thinking the same thing as I was. Maxwell, Herald of Andraste, is a very, very important and influential figure. At this moment, we all knew that he is something great to amass these believers without even doing anything. Though that’s not true, he closed rifts, he fought bandits, he defeated a magister, and he survived an avalanche. We all knew that he was this unstoppable force that I would categorize as a Mary-Sue character if he wasn’t real.

But he is real. Real and big that people were finding faith in him.

_Look to the sky for one day soon_

_The dawn will come_

The singing ended just like that, and after, some friends and families were hugging each other and giving support as they dispersed. Solas then walked by Max, telling him something and they both walked away, leaving the camp to go somewhere more private to speak.

The elf must be telling him about the place he knows. What was it again? Sky-something…

“You did not sing?” Avexis questioned.

“No…” I answered, eyeing at her strange question. “Why would I? Besides, I don’t know the lyrics.”

“Ohh… You should sing next time. I heard you sing before,” She exclaimed and my cheeks reddened a bit. “You sing better than the commander just now.”

Shaking my head, I shooed her away. “Okay enough of that. Check to see if any of the patients need water. Go on. Shoo.”

“I am not a fly.” She protested but she went to go do my bidding anyway.

Max returned later after an hour with Solas and he went straight to me with this exciting aura about him that I had to smile when he greeted me.

“Nathan, guess what?”

“You… found us a place where the Inquisition can build and grow?” I guessed. Accurately. His excitement deflated and I felt bad for ruining it for him, except I was smirking. Shamefully, it makes me happy whenever I’m proven right.

Max crossed his arms, looking at me skeptically. “…You can’t have genuinely just guess that out of nowhere. You’re going to have to admit to me that you have foresight.”

That made me laugh. “I’ve no foresight. Just a lucky guesser. So come on. Tell me about this place.”

And he did. Solas spoke of an ancient fortress waiting to be kept. A place where it held the sky back.

“ _Skyhold._ ” Max said the name with much enthusiasm. I can see the excitement in his eyes, but I understood as I was getting shivers—not from the cold but the anticipation of seeing this place.

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No words can express how grand and monumental Skyhold was as the people were filled with hope again.

We settled down, and begun rebuilding the Inquisition. By now, word would have reached Thedas that the Inquisition was attacked by a darkspawn magister by the name of Corypheus, and that the Herald of Andraste survived an avalanche. Everyone had been busy setting things up and making this place their own home. Renovations would be under way, thanks to Josephine’s connections. Soon, flocks of the faith arrived with supplies of their own, sharing and also helping.

With everybody so busy, I figured no one would have the time to hold interrogations.

“Are you going to explain yourselves or not?” Cassandra asked, crossing her arms.

We were in one of the dark rooms of the towers, just above the barracks. A dilapidated room that was yet to be renovated and offered only one door—that was not blocked by rubble—open for escape, except Cullen and Vivienne were both standing in the way as the Seeker asked questions from Avexis and me. Damn it. Where was Max? I bet they decided to do this without telling him.

Avexis smiled a bit, answering, “I know nothing, Cass…. But he does. He reversed it.” For emphasis, she gestured her head towards me.

She literally threw me under the bus with no regrets, even if they already know I was the cause of it.

I gritted my teeth, forcing a smile, “Gee, Avexis, thank you for having my back.”

“You are welcome.” She replied with mischievous glee.

Now the Seeker was looking right at me, crossing her arms. “…What did you do?”

“…I pushed her away from a Templar attacking us when we were on the road that night…and the contact was enough to break the tranquility.” I answered as truthfully as I can, not that I have to explain to them of my secret abilities.

“Yes. Alright. But _why_ did it break?” Cullen cut in, sort losing patience now. “Do you mean that you can just touch any tranquil and the rite will break?”

“ _Yes._ ” I answered and their brows raised as their expressions became surprise mixed with disbelief. “One touch. And it breaks.”

Vivienne was not convinced. “Humph. Lying will get you nowhere, dear.”

I scoffed at her. “You can always bring a tranquil over to me and I can break the rite for you, just to see, but as you know, we don’t do that because the Tranquil will go crazy when they have their…minds or souls back. Don’t really know how the rite works… but Avexis here is an exception.”

“How so?” Cassandra questioned, crossing her arms as she glanced at the elf mage.

Avexis told the seeker, “Before the rite was broken, I’ve always stayed near Nathan… that was because through him I could feel the fade… I could feel myself… my emotions. I was tranquil and yet I was _feeling_ … I wanted to stay near, to not let go… it was surreal… even now, _Cass_. I could feel happiness…”

“What about when you’re feeling angry?” Vivienne cut in and Avexis only shook her head, saying, “It is…not good to dwell on bad thoughts… easier to handle if I only think of good things…”

“So you can be dangerous when you’re angry?” Cullen’s question provoked her as the young elf daringly glared at the Commander.

“Don’t make me angry then.” She snapped.

Queen Frost then concluded, “Cassandra, she is a danger, especially when she is unstable with her emotions. You heard her.”

“And what would you have me do? Put her tranquil again?” Cassandra fired back. “…No. It’s been more than week, and she has not struck anyone, nor did she lose control. So far, I have confidence in her, and Max have stated that he trusts Avexis. She should be given a chance as it was unfair of what was done to her.”

I was actually surprised. The Seeker was backing up Avexis. I glanced and my nurse assistant looked all the more happy at Cass’s statement.

My opinion of the seeker got better at least until she switched the topic back.

“What I’m more concerned is Nathan’s ability to break the rite of tranquility by only a single touch,” she said and their eyes were on me again. “Answer this. Are you a mage?”

“No. I can’t make a fireball or make an ice wall. So I’m not a mage.” No need to tell them that I can’t dream. In fact, I don’t have to tell them everything, just enough to make them know that I’m safe.

“Then how and why?” Cullen demanded. “The sooner you tell us the truth, the better it is for everyone to decide that you’re safe…at least for now.”

I raised a brow at them. “You think I’m dangerous?”

Vivienne helpfully pointed out, “You broke the rite of tranquility, my dear, with a single touch as you claimed. You also have a weapon that brought down that monstrous creature from the lake. If there is anything else dangerous other than this former tranquil, it is you, darling.”

Now, they were all waiting for me to spill out the beans.

Shaking my head, I fired back, “I already told you, didn’t I? I’m no mage. Okay? I’m harmless.”

“Then why do you need to wear those shackles on your arms?” Cullen tipped his head and crossed his arms.

“A fashion statement?” I think I was pissing them off because Cullen’s breathing started to deepen and he was rubbing his head from the migraine that was probably already there before me.

“Enough Nathan,” Cassandra cut in. “Dorian speculated that those shackles’ runes are restraining a mage’s power, so then if you claim you are not a mage, then what are you?”

“I’m human.” Stubbornly, I answered.

“For Maker’s sakes!” Cullen snarled and before he would reprimand me, the door opened and Maxwell came in, stopping the interrogation.

We were all silent as we meet his eyes. He scanned the room, probably looking at our faces and emotions on it, before he smiled, “A secret group meeting? How come I wasn’t invited?”

“Oh, well…that is…” Cullen was stammering as he was unable to give an answer. It confirmed my thoughts true that they were doing this without Max’s knowledge.

Avexis then just blurted out, throwing them under the bus this time, “They were interrogating us without telling you and making sure you wouldn’t know about it.”

Cassandra and Cullen had to gawk at the mage’s immediate tattle-telling, and they were momentarily speechless. Max had raised a brow at all three, but Vivienne kept her cool, crossing her arms as she threw a nasty glare at Avexis before she glanced back to Max.

“We’re only watching out for you, my dear. It’s curious and alarming that the rite of tranquility was broken due to one touch from this man right here, who may not be human,” she gestured nonchalantly at me. “They’re both a danger, and if all of Thedas hear that he can break the tranquility, who knows what the consequences will be.”

“And that is why we are trying to contain it by acting like it never happened and that we are all grateful that Avexis is here,” Max smoothly said. “It’s already too late. We can’t reverse this, and it shouldn’t be. Avexis and Nathan are part of the Inquisition, are they not, Commander? Seeker?”

“They are. It’s just we don’t know what’s going to happen from this.” Cullen said. “We need to be prepared for any repercussions, and Nathan here—while I am grateful for all the care he had given to the soldiers—he has something hiding.”

“We all have secrets hiding, Commander, and right now, I don’t believe his secret is a danger to us,” Max told him. “As you remember, he left Haven to avoid exposure.”

“That’s partly the reason.” I interjected and he just gave me a raised brow, before I shrugged. Well… it was _mostly_ the reason.

Cassandra sighed. “If you trust him this much… then I see no further use of this interrogation. Forgive me, we meant no deception when we were interrogating them alone, and—”

“It’s alright. You all wanted answers like I have... but do not get it this way. Please remember, these two are our allies.” Max reminded them, and for a moment, I was feeling a little touch there.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, dear.” Vivienne said as she started to leave.

To which, Max replied cheerily, “Ohh, I never do. I make it up as I go.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not so reassuring.”

“It worked so far for me,” He shot her a grin, and she pursed her lips, trying not to smile to encourage and instead she left without another word.

“I’ll get back to work then. My apologies to you, Lady Avexis. Nathan.” Cullen said, bowing his head as we both stood up and bowed back.

“Don’t overwork yourself, Commander,” I said to him. “Those migraines are going to kill you, if you don’t take it easy.”

He waved me off walking away. Lastly, the Seeker turned to Avexis.

“…It is good to have you back, Avex--” She never finished when the tiny elf lunged and embraced Cassandra tightly, which both Max and me were gaping a bit.

A few moments after, Avexis pulled away, smiling brightly. “It’s nice to be back.”

Then she slightly skipped out of the room, humming to herself while Cassandra was very red and embarrassed from such affection. Then she saw us smiling at her and she got even redder.

“Augh! Stop smiling!” she said before stomping out of the room, leaving Max and I alone.

I stretched my arms a bit casual. My body was a little sore from sitting too long. “Well… thanks for getting them off my back.”

“I came looking for you because you wanted those bullets replicated, but I couldn’t find you… I had to play a game with the Iron Bull to get him to fess up, and I won.” Max stated and now I gawked at him.

He continued, “Or did he let me win? I can’t tell with him sometimes.”

“Wait, what game did you play?” I asked then Max just laughed as he started leaving the room.

Ohh I hate it when he does that… leaving the room without giving an answer but just a handsome, charming laugh.

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3rd POV

“Just a lowly refugee, your champion arrived… Brown shores of Ferelden fade to Kirkwall's buzzing hive…Rose above the poverty and rose above the vain. My friend became the savior of the white city of chains!”

There was a man wearing a black hooded cape, singing as he was strumming a strange looking lute, but the people of the caravan was enjoying such music and the song. They’ve never heard a bard sing like this before.

“Fight for your values and fight for your friends, fight through this blight, find the light at the end! Through the age of the Dragon, the people will talk of the day they were saved by a hero…Named Hawke!”

“Hawke, Hawke!” He wasn’t the only one singing and chanting the name, as some of them started to join in since it was an easy sing along part.

“Hawke, Hawke, Hawke!”

The tune soon ended, and everyone began clapping. They started calling for encore, but the leader of the caravan stepped up.

“Enough! We have to get going now while daylight is still here. We all want to make it to Skyhold right?”

There was groaning, but the thought of getting to Skyhold by today rejuvenated them as they quickly started packing and headed back on the road.

“What a strange instrument you have there—ehmm, what was your name again?” The leader asked and the stranger smiled. “Kurt. My name is Kurt. How soon can we get to Skyhold?”

“Just over that big hill there, and Skyhold, we’ll be able to see.” He said. “Are you joining in the army?”

“Maybe… I came to see an old friend of mine and see if he’s there… I also wanted to see this Healer that could revive people from the dead.”

“Oh, I’ve heard rumors about that. I figured only a mage could do such things, but they say he wasn’t a mage, and he used strange machines---not dwarven.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes. “Oh I see… if that’s so… then that may be the friend and healer I was looking for.”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--ch 9.   
>  Dragon Age Song: "Age of the Dragon" by Miracle of Sound


	10. We Just Needed To Talk It Out

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“Inquisition! Will you follow?”

Roars of approval resounded.

“Will you fight?”

And another echoed.

“Will we triumph??”

The chorus only seemed to grow louder.

“Your Herald, Your Leader, Your Inquisitor!!”

The blade was drawn right at the man standing atop as the crowd cheered for their hero. Maxwell, now the leader of the Inquisition, held his blade up high only for the roaring of crowd to grow louder and louder. They have set the vows on the courtyard, and now they must make do that promise.

“Inquisitor Trevelyan… not a bad title. Has a nice ring to it,” Dorian commented. It was later that afternoon when supper had come early, at least for Avexis and me. We had an hour of dinner before we have to go back to work.

“Figures he’d be leader. Wonder why it took so long,” Avexis added as she began to munch on her bread.

“Doesn’t matter. Now he has to do good on the promises,” I pointed out. “Stop Corypheus and restore order…  Restoring order however would be a little doubtful.”

With Max being the Inquisitor, I felt like something had changed, at least within myself. I have joined a bunch of heretics called the Inquisition that would restore order across the lands. It felt like I was once again belonging into another group, just like I was with Dahlia.

For a moment, I had forgotten about her and the mercenary group.

But then the past came to haunt me a couple of days later.

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3rd POV

“You joining as a new recruit?” One scout lieutenant asked.

Kurt only grinned. “Yup, that’s me!”

“…You look a little young.”

“I’m 25 years old, sir, I’m not that young,” the strange young man responded, stunning the lieutenant. The boy looked to be about 16 or 17 at most, not exactly in his mid-20s.

“I’ll see where I can put you. Just meet us here at the crack of dawn tomorrow with your new uniform on,” he said as he handed a pack to him of the Inquisition scout equipment.

“Yes, sir!”

Kurt went to the barracks, getting his new room with new people and in his new equipment. Everything was going swell, this place was great and all, and there was this excitement in the air. The first place he wanted to visit was the Herald’s Rest, which was the only functional building in this whole place while everywhere else was under construction. It’s not so bad, and there had been minimal incidents like that one worker that fell off the scaffold and cracking his skull on the ground. Maker have mercy on his soul.

Anyway, to the Herald’s Rest, Kurt had went, logging around the guitar on his back. The giant lute was getting a lot of attention from the people. It’s not any design they recognized or seen before, so it got a few mischievous mercenaries very curious.

“Sup? Any drinks you recommend, dwarf my man?” Kurt asked, leaning over the bar as the dwarf gave him an unamused, deadpanned look.

“…First off, it’s Cabot. Second, we only got this mead serving for now until we stock up tomorrow for the new shipment that’s still not arriving.” The dwarf said dryly as he handed him the bowl of mead.

Kurt held his hands up. “Hey man, that’s cool. Low key, I prefer mead anyway.”

Cabot just raised his brow at the strange language of the boy, who just proceeded to drinking his share. “…Okaaay… did you trip and land on your head or something?”

Kurt had to him thoughtfully to remember. “Hmm…when I was a younger, I nearly cracked my skull, but recently? No. Not yet.”

Cabot just decided that the kid was one card short of a full deck, though he got curious and he went ahead to ask. “You play, kid?”

Kurt nodded almost smugly. “I play fine.”

“Is it even a lute?” It wasn’t Cabot asking this time as a young lad in clad armor walked right up to Kurt and sat next to him. “It’s rather large for an instrument. Looks heavy too.”

“It is heavy.” The strange boy affirmed as he finished his bowl before holding out his hand. “This is called the guitar. A revolutionary evolution of the humble lute.”

His words again confounded them, making him stranger by the second but at the very least, they believe he’s relatively harmless and even amusing.

The lad asked, “So you play?”

“Yep. Name’s Kurt. Got any requests?” the strange young man grinned as he turned his guitar over from his back and on the front of his chest. He started to twiddle with the little knobs at the end and gently strum the strings one by one to see if he got the right tune. The sound caught attention from spectators nearby.

“Krem, and surprise me and my friends.”

“Sure thing, _Cream!_ ”

Snickers were heard as Krem gave him a deadpanned look. “ _Krem_.”

“Ken,” Kurt tried again, failing, which caused more laughter from Krem’s friends in a nearby round table.

He walked over to a stool next to a fireplace where he thought would be a good stage to play a song. He thought about it for a while as he adjusted the tune of the guitar. Meanwhile, Krem walked back over to the Chargers and Bull, reporting to him.

“Ever seen an instrument like that, boss?”

The Bull hummed. “Hmm… Nope. Never seen a thing like that before. It looks like it could play louder than a normal lute.”

“He said it’s a Gee- _Tahr_.”

“What’d you ask him to play, _Cream?_ ”

Krem grumbled, ignoring that, “I told him to surprise us.”

And surprise, Kurt did.

_Strum!_ “Carry on my Wayward SON!” _Strum-strum!_ “There’ll be peace when you are done!” _Strum!_ “Lay your weary head to REST! …Don’t you cry no more…!”

Rhythmic strumming started playing with its upbeat notes and strange yet fun melody that was stirring the soul inside of many. Almost every patron in the bar was drawn in, even those up on the second floor left their tables and moved to the railings to listen and watch.

It’s not just the music too, but the boy that sang so loud; it had so much feeling.

The strumming slowed down, preparing for the first verse, and Kurt sang, “Once I rose above the noise and confusion, just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion, I was soaring ever higher…! But I flew too high…”

With its audible and concise sound, it was attracting more attention outside of the bar, at least those that could hear it, gathering more people as they never heard a lute play like that nor have they ever heard such a music before.

“Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man…though my mind could think I still was a mad man! I hear the voices when I'm dreaming…! I can hear them say…!”

Carry on my wayward son,

There'll be peace when you are done

Lay your weary head to rest

Don't you cry no more!

“Maker…” Stitches said under his breath and Grim grunted in response, not expecting. The song was getting some of the patrons to cheer and whistle.

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Nathan’s POV

“When a comrade is bleeding to death…?”

“The health potion encourages blood clotting and restores blood cell growth.”

Solas paused, waiting for me to clarify. “Blood _cell?_ ”

I leaned against my chair, trying to think of how to explain this. “The cell is… it’s defined—if I remember the biology book accurately—it is the tiniest, functional unit of a living thing. We’re made out of cells. Our blood is made out of liquid and cells, and those cells make the red color. Blood cell.”

“I see… what is this biology book?”

“Biology is the study of life and how it came about. It has nothing to do with the Maker or any religion, it’s… It says that we all started out as a cell then grew to some bacteria and then there’s evolution from which we evolved from simple animals to bipedal walking creatures—I’m digressing the topic. Point is… the health potion makes more blood.”

“We’ll need to discuss more of that bye-oh-ligy of yours, but what if the blood loss is still significant?”

I placed my quill down. “Then there’s blood transfusion, which means transferring a person’s blood to another to save his or her life. However, people have different blood types, and we don’t have the necessary equipment to tell between blood types, so transfusion would not be a good idea. If blood was given to a person with a different blood type, he or she will die.”

Solas raised an eyebrow. “So why on your notes are you reminding yourself to get someone to create this…tubes with needles to perform the transfusion?”

“Oh. That’s because I’m type O negative… I’m a universal blood donor, which means my blood can’t harm anyone if I donate it to him to her. It won’t kill them. Only downside is that I can only get blood from the same blood type.”

Solas nodded but he seemed to understand. “And… how do you know all this?”

“Dahlia.”

“Ahh yes, of course.” The elf knew enough not to question anymore from that, knowing he’ll just engaged in a circular round of questions. Good to know he was learning not to question some things.

Solas let out a sigh. “It boggles me where you’re getting all of these remarkable theories: biology, cell, blood transfusion---blood has many types as you say...”

“Just eight blood types,” I informed him as I finished up with the notes on my journal and fanned it with a thin book to get it to dry faster.

“Do you get your ideas from your dreams?” He asked again.

At this point, I was already feeling comfortable with Solas and his questions, even though there are still a few I couldn’t much answer to. However, it’s this comfortable feeling that made me a bit careless, especially when I answered, “I don’t dream.”

The pause of silence had me regretting those words instantly as I whirled around to see a stunned elf. Immediately, I amended, “I mean I don’t dream _often_.”

He seemed to know I’m lying. “...Truly? I know your tells enough from all the 20 questions. Do you not dream or not? Did that have something to do with your peculiar ability and what happened to Avexis?”

I stood up, closing my journal, not caring if the ink was still a little bit wet.

“Oh Maker, look at the time..! My lunch break is over, I have to get back now..!” I hurried out, not answering any of his questions though I could feel him concentrating that stare behind my back until I was out the door.

I got to figure out what to say to him tonight if he will decide to corner me for 20-20 questions. Scratch that. _When_ he decides to corner me…

Returning to work that afternoon, I expected things to be normal and going along smoothly other than the injured soldiers that came to my care. None were life-threatening so I admitted things were peaceful; however, something was definitely amidst when I heard someone singing.

“Da, da, da…da, da, da, daaa da dada…”

This other healer, newly hired three days ago, passed by me as she sung the tune of a song that I know that came from another place. I halted immediately turning to her, thinking maybe she was from my timeline, but I saw no shackles or collars on her.

Plus, she didn’t look like she could be one of our own, especially when she had elven ears.

Immediately, I walked over to her, stopping her. “You! What’s your name?”

She flinched, panicking as if she thought she was in deep trouble. “Sh-Shiri, sir!”

“Shiri! Where did you hear that song?” I demanded and she looked very confused now. “The song you were humming just now…! Where did you hear it?”

She stuttered. “T-the tavern! There was this bard--”

“Adan!! Take over!” I called out, not caring that he was gawking as I rushed out of the place. I caught Avexis looking at me strangely and she looked like she was about to question but I sidestepped her and rushed out up the stairs and running on the path towards the tavern.

It didn’t take me long to arrive there. Everyone moved out of my way, even Cullen who was busy with a long line of people trying to talk to him.

I got to the door and slammed it open, the noise catching everyone’s attention as they looked at me with strange looks. However, there was a group that didn’t notice my arrival---except of course its Qunari leader. I approached them when I saw a familiar head of black hair spiking up, carrying my world’s common instrument: a guitar.

Dread fell in the pit of my stomach, but I faced it head on, walking over to the group.

The chargers’ laughter dwindled down when they saw me approach and the newcomer still hasn’t turned his head around to see me, still talking shit about guitar and its resonance. How he got the guitar from some crazy doctor---healer, he amended.

Krem was the first to speak, “Nathan! Do you need something?”

I didn’t respond, watching the familiar figure flinched at the mention of my name, and slowly he turned around and his eyes widened to see it was me. He stood up slowly to face me, setting the guitar down on the table.

The Chargers seemed to realize that we knew each other, because we were just standing there, having a stare off. From the corner of my eye, I could see the Iron Bull quirking the brow as he watched between _me and him._

“…Nathan.” He finally spoke. Not a single hint of mirth on his face. He was definitely not happy to see me, and I expected that.

“…Kurt.” I responded with the same tone. Don’t run away, I told myself. Face this head on, or he’ll never forgive me if I turn now.

It was another tense silence and I know the whole bar was watching us with diligent eyes and confusion. For some, it was getting too intense, I suppose and even I’m not sure what to do next.

Krem spoke again, breaking the silence, “Do you two know each other--?”

He never even get to finish the last syllable when Kurt moved at amazing speed and threw a fist right at me, punching me across the jaw. And I stumbled back from the force, hitting the wooden beam of the building that stopped me from falling.

Amassed gasps surrounded the room as Kurt took a step towards me. “You asshole…! You were _here_ …!”

The Chargers started to move to secure Kurt but I held my hand at Krem, looking directly at him and shook my head. He understood to back off and thankfully he did. I stood to face Kurt. My lip was bleeding and I licked it, feeling how sore it was though it was nothing compared to the guilt that was eating me inside.

I took a step towards him, but keeping my distance at least two meters away in case he threw a fist again.

Kurt shouted, “...You _left!!_ ”

“Yes…”

“You just up and _left?!_ ”

“What do you want me to say, Kurt?” I fired back, though really I had no defense for what I did to them. “I had to leave!!”

My excuse was not enough as he got furious with me. “Without even a fucking note? What were we to you? To _her?!_ ”

“Don’t bring _her_ into this!” Now he was annoying me, and what’s worse, he was mentioning her in public. This was private. “I made my decision, and I don’t regret it the least. I had justifiable reasons--”

He took a swing at me again and this time I dodged it, grabbing his arm and flipping him over on his back. It took him a second after to take me down with him. Yells aroused as we were up again and we started to fight.

The Chargers got involved and they tried to restrain both Kurt and I, but compared to their training and ours, we were the better ones as we slipped out, knocking them out only to attack each other again. Even Bull couldn’t stop Kurt as the small human kicked him strikingly fast that the wind had a piercing sound, forcing him the qunari back to his chair.

Then he ran at me, and we took the fight outside, the door breaking down.

We were outside and all those nearby watched us horrified as we were up on our feet. I had my hands up, ready for this typical Asian kid trained by martial arts and with a fourth degree black belt. As for me---well… that typical Asian kid trained us in hand-to-hand combat, thus it was master versus student.

Kurt could kill me easily, but I was pretty certain he just wanted to beat the shit out of me.

He rushed towards me, crying out as I did my best to block his attacks and dodge them. It’s not like in the movies. Movies they’re falsely throwing meek and pretended punches, and their blocking soft, light kicks. Here, even blocking hurts. Though with the stage wide, what was real was using the environment around us.

I knew how powerful Kurt’s kicks can be so when he came at me with round house kick, I managed to grab a wooden board in time, blocking his attack and the plank broke in half. Tossing away the split, I slid down and crossed his legs with min, making him fall.

Our fight was getting a lot of attention that Cassandra, and even Bull, coming to stop us.

Cassandra had gotten in front of me, holding her shield up just as Kurt does a high kick and he brought it right down. A gong resounded and the Seeker was forced back just to see her metal shield was dented with the sole of his foot.

It was amazing at first until Kurt pulled away, limping and favoring his foot. “Ow. Ow, ow, fuck! That hurt..!”

Bull got in front of me as well to stop me in case I go for Kurt, but he didn’t need to. I stood there, taking a breather as I watched my former friend limp about, going to a barrel to hold and support himself.

Meanwhile, Cassandra was looking at her shield, shocked at the impact of the kick that---let’s be honest, it could have actually killed me if Cassandra hadn’t gotten in front of me.

“What… in the maker’s name is going on here?!” She demanded as she drew her blade, going over to Kurt. “Who are you?!”

Kurt held his hands up. “Whoa, whoa, hey, hey, I’m injured here…!”

“I don’t care!” She snapped. “Who are you?!”

Reluctantly, I passed the Iron Bull, walking over to Cassandra. “He’s… Kurt. He’s… a friend of mine.”

Cassandra looked me with a boggled look while Kurt assessed, “See now, not really friends. More lose than that. Like we used to work together.”

“We _were_ friends,” I amended and he glared at me, responding, “Well, shit, throw away the friendship bracelet then.”

We were gathering too much attention already, and as much as I care less for rumors, this was something I needed to avoid greatly. Some already thought I had a problem of running away and such, and that when the going would get tough, I would actually bail. Though I was forgiven for leaving the Inquisition that night, some still suspect that I might up and leave again.

“We’re…okay now. We just needed to talk it out.” I explained to her.

She still looked at me like I was crazy until the Iron Bull stepped in to support me. “That’s right, Seeker. You know, men just need to… beat each other up to get over some feuds, you know? They’re fine now.”

She looked at me then back at Kurt, her blade still drawn at him.

Immediately he replied, “Hey, I’m cool! I’m cool now.”

She raised a brow at his quirky response and I could only cover my face at his blatant response.

“…Fine.” She finally said. “But this can’t happen again, or else I’ll throw you both into the dungeon for damaging property and causing a disturbance!”

As I was pretty sure there was no way they’d throw _me_ in the dungeon, I didn’t want to test the Seeker’s words. “Yes. Absolutely.”

With that, she left us and Kurt just stood there at the barrel, still catering his foot.

Bull turned to me and said, “You’re full of surprises as always. You good now?”

Nodding, I said, “Yeah… Yeah, we just needed to…talk it out…and some more. Thanks.”

The qunari nodded his head to me, eyeing warily at Kurt before going back inside the tavern. Though he stopped to pick up the door, and see if he could fix it. He even got the chargers to help. Nice of him.

Cautiously, I approached Kurt. “…You’re angry… you have every right to be.”

Kurt turned his head away. “…You just left… like you didn’t care.”

I winced a bit as a pang of guilt hit me again. “…I had to leave. I couldn’t--… Come on. Let’s fix that foot of yours, and we’ll talk some more…”

Thankfully, he accepted my help and I assisted him, getting him to the medical tent. There wasn't any more rage, but I know he was still upset, and he knew I was feeling shitty about it. This was the problem of me. I would always leave and try to forget, even if I knew the past would come back to haunt me. However, this wasn't so bad talking with Kurt.

And we talked. All night long.

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.

.


End file.
